Koriand'r and the Kappas
by pikachucutie17
Summary: A bad day for Starfire only gets worse when she falls through a portal made by the Kraang and ends up in a different dimension. Luckily, four mutant turtles and their human friend, April O'Neil, are willing to help her. What none of them realize is that all the Tamaranean needed was the unusual family to steady her wings when she had trouble flying.
1. Salt in Old Wounds

_Author's Note: I wrote this for the TMNT Mini Bang and it is my first published fanfiction ever. I would greatly appreciate reviews on how I could make my writing flow and such. The art for this was done by dgLari, so go check out her D__eviantart and Tumblr! I will be posting the remaining chapters by Sunday night. The story takes place between TCRI and Cockroach Terminator of the 2012 universe and after Trouble in Tokyo. I am borrowing Fantasia Wandering's fan character of Lieutenant Virtue here and in future chapters, but I made up Queen Millennia. Brownie points to whomever guesses who she represents and sees the reference to the voice actors! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Mikey sat in front of the small television set, absorbing every pixel that Space Heroes could offer. He would have sat closer if it weren't for Leo complaining that he couldn't see what was happening.<p>

"Not like you need to see this episode for the thousandth time," Raph grumbled from behind his magazine.

The inevitable argument over the quality of Space Heroes ensued and it fell into the background noise of Mikey's mind. Focusing on the show, the plot began to take motion. Lieutenant Virtue had discovered an injured space traveler and Crankshaw recognized her as Queen Millennia from the Naenaramat galaxy.

"Can you believe how cool Millennia is? She can shoot two laser guns at the same time and make the bad guys back off with just one look! She totally should have stayed and joined the crew. Then they'd be unstoppable!" Mikey said in awe. The Queen was one of his favorite characters. Her orange outfit was a contributing factor, but it was really because of her kindness towards everyone. Captain Ryan was a leader that made tough calls when necessary, but he could be a real jerk at times. Millennia was the type to make sure the entire crew made it out alive instead of sacrificing them to the enemy.

Leo and Raph's argument continued on until the end of the episode. Mikey casually strode to his room for a long awaited reading session with his new comic. He closed the door behind him and glanced at the collective mess that filled his room. He scraped through piles upon piles of dirty laundry until what he was looking for.

"There you are! I've been waiting all morning for this," he purred.

Licking his lip, he drew the item closer and closer to his mouth until. . .

_Gulp. Burp._

"Only a few days old! Shredded pickles and whipped cream is my 5th favorite kind of pizza!"

With his stomach gurgling happily at the nourishment, Mikey flopped onto his bed with his new comic and dove into the adventures of his favorite teenaged superheroes.

* * *

><p>"So anyway, Greg has to go with Scott on a backpacking adventure through the wilds of the Grand Canyon. They're supposed find clues and figure out who stole Tara's stuff."<p>

"And where are Khary and Hynden presently? Are they continuing the journey down the Nile River or have they moved on to another worldy location?"

"They're almost done with the Nile, but their boat is leaking, so it might take a while."

"Why do not the people behind the camera assist with these ventures? Surely it would make their journeys easier and much safer?"

"Because danger is exciting! Everyone wants to see these guys make it out on their own."

"Oh."

Starfire conceded to the strange answer that Beast Boy provided her with. She sat down with him on the couch when she discovered him marathoning a reality adventure show he had somehow never watched before. He explained that he lost the remote and this was the channel that the TV was left on, so he ended up watching the first two seasons by early evening. Starfire rushed in when she heard him screaming, but discovered Beast Boy was merely reacting to Scott nearly falling down a cliff. She asked him a few questions and found herself glued to the story ever since.

On the next commercial break, Beast Boy scurried to the kitchen to make popcorn so they could continue watching the adventure movie theater style. He tore the plastic, jammed the package in the microwave, and slammed his finger onto the start button.

"C'mon, c'moooon!" he whined impatiently. He glanced at the TV when the commercial changed. "Oh good! That one is pretty long. It'll buy time for the popcorn!"

"You are able to see the program from where you are standing," Starfire noted.

"Yeah, but it's not the same! You've gotta be up close and personal with these kinds of shows. Especially when you watch them for the first time," Beast Boy replied.

Starfire opened her mouth to inquire further, but was interrupted by the opening of the main door and Cyborg stomping in. His glare traveled around the room until he found his target.

"Yo! Beast Boy! I thought we were doing arcade night tonight!" he shouted.

"We are! Just as soon as I finish this season. I've only got about 13 more episodes left. Or maybe it was 20." Beast Boy paused for a moment and tapped his finger to his chin in thought. "No, it's 13."

"I'm not waiting another 5 hours for you to finish up your show. I'm going right now with or without you." Cyborg pointed out the door, then crossed his arms to show he meant business.

"WHAT?! Don't do this to me! I can't possibly decide between gaming night with my best buddy and finishing my new show with Starfire! She just started watching it too!" He waved his arms about, not knowing how to overcome this dilemma

"I can locate the times when this program will air again. We can finish your show another time," Starfire offered.

"Really?" Beast Boy asked hopefully. "You are my hero, Star! I never would have thought of that!" He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her to express his gratitude. Starfire returned the gesture.

"Of course you wouldn't have," Cyborg muttered. He walked over to Beast Boy and grabbed him by the back of the collar. "We're going, grass stain. And you'd better bring extra game to make up for the time we've lost. See ya, Star!" He dragged Beast Boy out the door and turned his head briefly to bid Starfire farewell. She smiled and waved to wish them happy gaming. Once the door closed behind the two, Starfire turned back to the television.

"Where did Beast Boy leave the remote?" she wondered aloud. She set out to flip the couch cushions, but no remote. She floated a few feet, but her aerial view did not help either.

"Perhaps it is under the couch." Lifting the couch with ease, she was met only with an intersecting red and white carpet. However, her left hand wasn't touching the couch's fabric. Starfire looked up to her hand and smiled.

"Success!" The remote was stuck to the bottom of the couch due to some sticky substance that Starfire guessed was once food. She tugged and freed the remote, being careful not to damage the fabric more than the sticky stain already had. After setting the furniture in its proper place, Starfire located the power button. She spun to depower the television, but was surprised.

The channel had changed in her brief struggle to free the remote to an alien movie. A young woman in a hospital gown was strapped to a cold, steel table. Strange and hideous aliens surrounded her, garbling in a language she could not understand. A few were facing a control panel and began typing commands into the computer-like module. Starfire's finger froze above the power button. Her muscles seized and she was unable to move.

A hatch opened from the machine, dramatically releasing steam. After a moment, the young woman could see that a levitating platform emerged, laced with sharp instruments. Her eyes widened in terror and she thrashed against the straps in a desperate attempt to escape. The aliens drew the platform next to the panicked woman, ignoring her protests. In their claws, they held a double-edged blade above their victim.

Starfire's eyes widened.

The blade descended. Prolonged wailing echoed throughout the room. Blood oozed to the floor.

Starfire gasped loudly and frantically clicked the remote at the screen, sending the image into darkness. Her arm closed to protect her chest, her other hand reaching to grip her wrist tightly. Repressed memories flooded into her conscious thoughts. Flashes of reaching claws obstructed her vision, past chains bound her hands together, scalpels trailing across her skin.

She tried to concentrate on deeper breathing, pushing the memories away. Her tightened grip nearly crushed the remote. Realizing the damage she was causing, she quickly set the remote onto the table. Falling back on the couch, she ran her hands over her eyes, wiping away the moisture that was beginning to spring. She mulled over the movie before a burning stench demanded her attention.

_The popcorn!_

She rushed to the microwave and opened the door. Black smoke rushed out and Starfire waved it away with a small towel as best she could before the fire alarms activated. Carefully tossing the burnt popcorn into the trash, she bent over to better observe the mess in the microwave. With a sigh, Starfire set to work on cleaning the dirtied machine.

* * *

><p>Curled up on her bed with Silkie, Starfire tried to ease her mind. She cradled her bumgorf in her arms and lowered her lips to press a kiss to the top of his head. Silkie chirped happily at the affection he was receiving, but he did not demand more as he usually would. Starfire's body language was less exuberant than usual, so he remained calm for her sake. He snuggled closer to her, hoping to lift her spirits.<p>

Starfire smiled down at her bumgorf, quietly thanking him for behaving so well. She lifted her eyes to look out her window towards the darkened ocean. Raven had not yet returned from watching a new horror movie and Robin was likely still purchasing basic food items from the grocery store. With a sigh, she turned her thoughts back to Silkie. He was now falling asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Not wanting to disturb his light slumber, Starfire slowly retracted her arms from underneath him and floated off the bed. Taking a pillow with her, she used it to prop the door open to allow Silkie to leave if he wished. With a final glance at her pet, she turned off the light and wearily walked away.

After wandering the halls aimlessly, she eventually settled for resting on the edge the Tower's roof. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin upon her knees. The crashing of the ocean waves below filled the air. The darkened water expanded into the horizon. The beams of the full moon drew her gaze towards the night sky. The stars filled her vision, each shining brightly. She leaned back, trying to locate the constellations she knew would be out at this time of year.

"There is Scorpius and Saggitarius. And above them Aquila. Now, farther north is Cygnus. Now where is. . . Ah! Lyra!" More relaxed, she called out the Earthly names for the planets, proud that she could use her knowledge. Whenever she learned a new custom, it was often a long while before the chance came up to demonstrate what she had learned.

She sought out a certain star and finally found it.

"Tamaran," she sighed. Hesitantly, she reached for the distant planet before lowering her hand. Earth had become her home over the past few years, but there were times when she felt like a stranger still. Those moments only came when her friends weren't physically present. However, she didn't feel like a foreigner in that moment. Only alone.

* * *

><p>A large, black shadow fell over the ops room of the Tower. It receded in size, revealing Raven. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright lighting and strange buzz of the room. Reaching for the cabinet, she opened the door and searched for a tea packet. Finding it quickly, she raised her hand towards the stove. Her powers set the kettle on a burner and turned the dial to high heat. She leaned back against the counter, waiting patiently for the water to boil.<p>

The movie had been dark and gruesome, just the way she liked it. The webbed design of the slasher killer was undeniably creepy and the main character was the right balance of frightened and willing to fight back. Passive characters made Raven's eyes roll, but this one held her attention right up until their demise. It would have been better if there hadn't been couples who only used the movie as an excuse to lock lips. At least there weren't middle school boys who claimed they could handle the gore only to wet themselves.

The whistling of the kettle announced the readiness of the boiled water. Raven prepared her tea and strolled towards the couch to settle down. Beast Boy wasn't occupying it, so she could finally enjoy the soft cushions. As she approached the couch, a feeling nagged at her. She paused, trying to not let the lingering emotions overwhelm her. When she reached the couch, it struck her. Utter sadness weighed down upon her as well as nausea that nearly made her vomit. She took a long sip of her tea to ease her nerves and send the bile that threatened to rise back down her throat. She closed her eyes tightly, taking a few moments to steady her breath.

It was undeniably Starfire's energy that lingered. Being the most expressive of the Titans, her emotions weren't difficult to pick up on. However, like Robin, she had the tendency of hiding when something deeply troubled her. The storm within would build up until it finally burst open like a dam. Something opened the floodgates and Starfire was alone when it happened. Otherwise, the distraught emotions would have been washed away by the compassion of another Titan and relief following the released grief.

Casting out her senses, she located Starfire. The Tamaranean had retreated to her typical spot on the roof where she could be closer to the sky. Even though she wasn't the most talkative of the Titans, Raven felt the need to tend to her friend's broken state. Heading for the main door, she realized a familiar presence was approaching.

_Perfect._

She met the team's leader at the door. He blinked in surprise when he found Raven standing directly in front of him, hands planted on her hips.

"Oh! Hey Raven," Robin greeted her. His arms were filled with much needed groceries. "Can you give me a hand with these? They're starting to slip." Her powers promptly surrounded and lifted the load, relieving Robin's arms. He took a step towards the kitchen only to be stopped by Raven's hand to his shoulder. He glanced at her, confused.

"Something you want to talk about?" he questioned. Raven mentally rolled her eyes at his obliviousness.

"Starfire's upset about something."

"What? What happened?" Robin asked worriedly. His tone shifted at the mere mention of Starfire.

"I'm not sure. But I can feel her emotions around there," gesturing to the couch. "Something got to her and, from my guess, brought back bad memories."

"Where is she?"

"On the roof. You know what to do." She released his shoulder, tilted her chin towards the hallway. Wasting no time, Robin briefly thanked Raven and hurried out of the room, knowing where he was needed. If anyone could console Starfire, it was her best friend. They had come to each other in the past and this was no different. Reassured that Starfire would receive the emotional support she needed, Raven started towards the kitchen to take care of the groceries left in her hands. Being an empath and not a psychic, she couldn't have known that Starfire would choose that moment to set out into the city.

Robin flung the door to the roof open, but was only met with the quiet of the night. He jogged to the center of the basketball court and searched the sky. Only then did he spy Starfire, flying far out of his reach into the depths of the city.

* * *

><p>Finding herself more wound up at thoughts of her childhood home, Starfire resolved to do something other than sit and allow past memories to hold her down. She needed to feel the joy of flight, to escape the weight of her sadness. Kicking off the roof, she ascended into the air. The wind whipped around her, carrying the remaining tears into the night. She drifted to the city, knowing the maze of buildings would push her to focus on her aerial path. Her flight was not as natural as it normally would be, so she focused on thoughts of a particular loved one to stay afloat.<p>

As she reached the harbor, the ringing of her communicator demanded her attention. Confused, seeing as she was not needed for any patrols tonight, she answered. She was pleasantly surprised that the one she was thinking of was the caller.

"Robin!"

"Hey, Starfire. So, Raven told me that she could sense that you were upset about something," he explained gently. Starfire's smile faded.

"I was coming up to talk to you, but you left before I got there."

"Oh! I apologize for the inconvenience," she berated herself. She had no idea that Robin or Raven had arrived home. They must have used the tunnel that ran under the ocean meant for the T-Car, R-Cycle, or the pizza delivery boy.

"No, no, don't worry about it," he reassured her. "I just wanted to be sure that you were okay.

"I have not engaged in any activities that resulted in physical injuries," she evaded him.

"That's not what I meant." His gaze bore into her. Unable to handle it, she looked at anything she could find on the city landscape besides him. She had longed for his company before, so why was she avoiding him now?

"Star, why don't you come back? We can talk over a full bottle of mustard," he offered. At this, Starfire's reluctance began to fade. One of her nine stomach's grumbled at the mention of her favorite drink. His kindness always found a way to touch her heart. She swallowed and attempted to keep her voice steady.

"I would like that very much." He grinned the slightest bit at her acceptance and she meekly shared the expression.

"I'll bring a bottle up to the roof for you. I'll see you soon." He murmured soothingly.

She nodded. They held onto the moment a little longer, cradling their communicators in both of their hands, before signing off. She slipped the communicator into her skirt pocket, but a familiar sight caught her eye. Not far from her, Cyborg's frame was positioned on a rooftop. He and Beast Boy were peeking into a triangular glass roof.

_Did they not say they were at the arcade? _Starfire wondered. She flew towards them, deciding she had time since Robin would take a minute to retrieve her mustard. She landed next to Beast Boy, startling him.

"Whoa dude! Don't scare me like that, Star," he said after briefly flailing his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Starfire inquired.

"You know how we were out on our arcade night?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire nodded.

"Well," Cyborg started. "On our way to get some snacks from the store across the street, some guy walked right into us. He didn't apologize or look at us or anything."

"Yeah! He had this blank look on his face like he never figured out what emotions were," Beast Boy added.

"We both thought it was weird, so we followed him around town. I did a retinal scan on him and it turns out he isn't human! He's a robot suit with some kind of brain creature in the stomach that's running the whole thing," Cyborg continued. Starfire's curiosity was piqued.

"Is it a human brain? What has the robot done since you began following him?"

"We don't think so and nothing really. He's mainly walked into stores and talked about 'the supplies that would be useful for Kraang.' Oh, and did I forget to mention that he talks really weird? He asked a lady for directions and he was like 'do you possess the knowledge that is needed by Kraang of the location of the store that is known as the hardware store?' It's painful to listen to him for too long!" Beast Boy complained, pulling his hair to emphasize his point.

"The Kraang? Is that the name of the brain creature?" Starfire asked.

"That's what we're guessing. We've been watching them through this window here," Cyborg gestured to the infrastructure. They all peeked down to the floor level of the building. Starfire now saw a cause for worry. Some of the robots looked human, but emotionless, as Beast Boy had described. The others were made of dark blue, see-through material, exposing the wires and skeleton. However, looking closer at the pink patch in their stomachs, Starfire could faintly make out a brain shape. Her eyes widened in surprised when eyes appeared on one of the brains.

"Perhaps they are another race of aliens, although I am not familiar with them," she noted.

"That's what I was guessing from their technology. I've never seen a metal alloy like that and the machinery is a work of art," Cyborg practically drooled, referring to the device in the center of the room. It was circular and laced with several control panels on its façade. Two engine-like structures extended from the machine and connected to thick masses of wiring that trailed out of the Titan's immediate sight.

"I'd love their designs more, but something about the frequencies that their machine is emitting is messing with my systems. I've tried listening in on their conversations with my enhanced hearing, but all I'm getting is static feedback," Cyborg said.

"How do we determine what their plans are?" Starfire asked.

"We could always burst in through the ceiling and ask them," Beast Boy suggested. Cyborg looked at him questioningly.

"There appears to be a fair number of them. And we do not know if their technology will affect Cyborg's ability to fight."

"Let's be smart about this. Beast Boy, you go in as something small and try to figure out what they're talking about," Cyborg told him.

"But I can't understand techno mumbo jumbo!" he protested.

"With the way they talk, I'm sure they'll eventually explain their plans in a way you can understand. If we have a better idea what they're up to, then we can call for backup and go in more prepared," Cyborg reasoned. He rested a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. After a moment, Beast Boy smiled more confidently. He morphed into a hummingbird and fluttered away, seeking an entrance.

Starfire mentally wished him luck and she turned back to Cyborg. They both grew serious, knowing that these brains could be a much bigger threat than they appeared. She turned to the window, scanning the area for any robots that patrolled the upper catwalk. Avoiding discovery was key, otherwise they would have to resort to fighting the robots and risk creating an explosion by damaging their technology. Seeing no immediate danger, she leaned in closer to get a better look at the large machine.

"Do you know what that device is?" she asked.

"I'd say it's a portal from the structure. What's on the other side is anyone's guess, but it takes up a lot of power from the looks of those wires."

"There have not been any noticeable surges in power recently. Do they generate their own energy source to activate it?"

"I think- Wait, yeah! Look over there!" Cyborg pointed towards the far side of the interior. Following his direction, she was met with what looked like a glowing capsule plugged into a compartment. "It's a battery! I wonder how many watts that produces."

Starfire only shrugged. After a minute of silence, Cyborg glanced at his teammate and noticed something was off. She seemed distracted and a little fidgety, which was unlike her usual self.

"Everything okay, Star?" he prodded.

"Hmm? Oh, yes! Everything is fine," she answered unconvincingly. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure? It almost seems like you don't want to be here right now. Something bothering you?" He knew her better than that and he could usually tell when she wanted to escape a situation. She grew antsy and usually withdrew away from receiving attention. She sighed and continued gazing at her feet.

"I. . . promised Robin a few minutes ago that I would meet him at home for something important. But you require my help here and I do not wish to abandon you," she confessed, leaving out her reasons for needing to see Robin. She briefly glanced up at Cyborg and was met with his reassuring grin.

"Girl, we've got this. If you need to go see Robin, then go on. If the grass stain gets in trouble, I'll be there to bust him out."

"Are you quite certain?" she asked uncertainly.

"Tota-"

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" a familiar shriek broke through the air. Cyborg and Starfire's heads snapped towards the building. The robots were aiming their lasers towards the direction of the cry.

"Well, I could use the help this one time," he quipped.

In unison, the duo burst through the glass and came down to the floor level. Many of the robots turned towards them, diverting their attention away from Beast Boy.

"Now's a good time as any to see if my sonic cannon works," Cyborg half-joked. To the Titan's relief, his arm formed into the weapon seamlessly and fired. He charged to help Beast Boy and Starfire took to the air. Immediately, she plowed through the robots firing from the catwalk, taking out their laser guns before they could land a hit.

Beast Boy morphed into a snake to avoid the gunfire, then into a gorilla once he got close enough to a group of robots. With one blow, he knocked them all aside. Cyborg worked through a group that was firing from the far end of the warehouse, being careful that he did not do damage to the battery. If broken, the energy that burst out would easily be the equivalent of being struck by lightning.

"Kraang is in need of more Kraang. Kraang will activate the portal to request that which is known as backup," one of the robots droned. It hurried to one the control panels and began typing in commands. The portal began powering on, a purple glow filling the circular machine. Starfire dropped in behind it and the Kraang turned its head as she spoke.

"You will not be getting the backup today!" she exclaimed as she wound up a punch. However, a laser fired past her, making her miss her mark. Instead, her arm flew past the robot and accidently hit the control panel. Electricity hummed and the purple haze flickered. After properly disposing of the robot, she floated up to observe the portal's activity. The wind the portal produced blew her hair about her face, trying to pull her in.

Unexpectedly, a laser struck her square in the back. She fell forward into the air and into the purple haze, Beast Boy screaming her name the last thing she heard. The wind whipped and howled around her, preventing her from flying steadily. She was thrown violently through the storm of time and space. Light swirled around her, disorienting her even further.

Finally, everything stilled. She landed with a thud onto a metal platform. Slowly rising off the floor, she blinked and lifted her eyes to gain her bearing. She looked back to see a different portal shutting down. The room was filled with the brain creatures, each one with its eyes trained on her.

"No!" She was separated from her friends again. This time, she didn't have a villain with the specific tools she needed to get back home.

The brains began to swarm her from all directions. Furious, she fired in every direction, sending the robot suits flying. She demolished the one tending the control panel with a single punch. Tucking her hair to the side, her eyes darted across the screen. Her brain struggled to understand the foreign dialect and find the power button to the portal.

Before she could lay a finger on the screen, the blasts sailing around her found their mark. The lasers struck her back all at once, causing her to lose her breath and crumple to the ground. The last sight she saw was a robot bringing down its laser gun upon her head.


	2. Falling Star

When Starfire hadn't come back within 10 minutes, Robin knew something was wrong. He waited patiently on the roof for her arrival, a mustard bottle with a straw in hand. Wanting to call her without pushing her to return home, he stared at the sky and occasionally glanced down at his communicator. When he got the call, Cyborg's face appeared on the display instead of Starfire's. He told Robin what happened.

The mustard fell to the roof forgotten. His grip on the communicator tightened. He could feel the blood leaving his face.

"No."

* * *

><p>"This is the portal?" Robin asked sternly. He and Raven had come as quickly as they could to the warehouse. Robots were strewn everywhere and the machinery was buzzing with electricity. Cyborg had managed to stabilize the power levels so the control panels wouldn't short circuit and implode on itself. But it was still greatly damaged and the Kraang had escaped in the midst of the fight.<p>

"Yeah. I'm already running calculations on how to fix it, but it's foreign technology. I'm not entirely sure how compatible this is to anything we have or how much time it'll take to get it running. And without those Kraang around, It's going to be tougher to figure this out, but not impossible," Cyborg said.

"Start work right away," Robin ordered. More time lost would mean less of a chance of finding Starfire and bringing her home.

"Already on it," Cyborg responded. He began taking apart the damaged control panel to see what parts would need repairing. Robin turned to Raven and Beast Boy. The latter had previously stayed out of Robin's way for fear of invoking his anger for messing up the mission and thus losing Starfire. He cringed when Robin looked at him.

"Raven, see if you can find a way to locate Starfire. Beast Boy, track down one of the Kraang and bring it back here. We need it to tell us how the portal works." They nodded in unison. Raven went into a meditative position and concentrated on Starfire's energy. Beast Boy morphed into a bloodhound, determinately sniffing the robots to pick up a scent. He paced all throughout the warehouse, the place reeking of the brains. What he needed was a fresh scent.

Travelling towards the far end, his nose caught something. He followed the lead in an erratic pattern along the floor.

_Where is it going?_ he wondered. In the darkened edge of the building, a shadow passed by. He lifted his head and growled. By the purple glow of a radioactive looking tube, a brain was attempting to pull the tube out of its place with its tiny tentacles. It turned and spotted the angry dog. Squealing pathetically, it made a mad dash for the exit.

_Not this time._ With hackles raised, Beast Boy snarled and lunged at the brain. He snapped down on one of its tentacles with his jaw, causing it to wail in pain. Holding it down with a paw, he captured more of its tentacles in his teeth to ensure it wouldn't escape. The noise drew Robin's attention and he rushed over.

Beast Boy presented the thrashing brain to him. Robin grasped its tentacles in his gloved hand and the bloodhound released his hold.

"Good work, Beast Boy," Robin crisply thanked him. He examined the brain, trying to make some sense of what he was holding. Still in dog form, Beast Boy felt the need for more reassurance that he did a good job. He gently nudged Robin's free hand with his muzzle. Robin looked at him quizzically and Beast Boy's head lowered under his gaze. A small smirk emerged from his wound up leader, who then rubbed his hand gently on the top of the bloodhound's head.

"Good work, Beast Boy," Robin thanked him, in a softer tone this time. The green dog's tail wagged and his floppy ears perked up.

"We'll find a way to bring Starfire home," Robin reassured his friend and himself. In the meantime, he had some interrogating to do. Squinting at the upset brain, he reminded himself that his girlfriend could put these creatures in their place if they tried to lay a hand on her. For now, he could only hope that she was safe.

* * *

><p>Monotone voices reached her ears. Metal footsteps clanged against the floors. Struggling to open her eyes, Starfire slowly regained her consciousness. Her back stung and was pressed against a cold material. She tried raising her arms, but found they were held down. Adjusting to the disorienting lighting of the room, she glanced down at her body and her eyes widened.<p>

She was strapped down to a metal table. Several robots milled around the room, whether carrying a laser gun or typing away at a screen that lit up with each tap. A few robots stood over a table, conversing without realizing that their captive was awake.

"Kraang will begin the dissection of that which is known as the human with strange powers that came through the portal," one rambled.

_No._ Her breathing grew shallow.

"Does Kraang think Kraang should begin with the instrument known as the laser scalpel or the instrument that is known as scissors?"

_No!_ She pressed her entire being against the large straps, trying to tear them away from the table.

"Kraang believes Kraang is supposed to start with that which is known as a bone saw."

"NO!" The straps were wrenched from the table, freeing the frightened Tamaranian. The Kraang turned only to be flung off their metal feet by a flying starbolt.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Me." Starfire seethed, eyes glowing and blasting away a robot with each word. Whirring of the laser guns sounding behind her and she leaped into the air, darting towards the nearest exit. An alarm sounded and red light flooded the hallways. Charging her hands with glowing green energy, she easily powered through groups of robots that came running.

Turning sharply at each corner, she blindly sped through the floor, unsure of where to go. She passed by a turn and halted mid-flight. Coming back, she saw that there was a window at the end of the hall. Between the flashes of red, a city came into sight. She could hear the parading robots closing in on her from all sides. Charging up her energy, she built up an energy shield around her, decimating the robots that came into view as well as the window. Flying through the opening, she left the horrid place behind. She allowed her energy to fade and relished the feeling of the cool night air against her skin.

Never again. Once more, she would take her freedom into her own hands.

* * *

><p>"Is everything set up?"<p>

"Yup. We just need to adjust the magnification and then we'll be good to go."

"150x magnification right?"

"Right. It should be strong enough to see some of the constellations, despite the light pollution from the city."

April set the telescope to the correct settings and peered through the eyepiece. She slowly adjusted the dial until the stars were crystal clear.

"Wow," she gasped. "Come here, look at sky!" She grabbed Donnie's hand and pulled him towards the eyepiece. Blushing briefly, he focused on view of the night sky to check that the telescope was doing its job.

After reading through a few astronomy and weather reports, Donnie mapped out best nights for stargazing. To make sure the giant terrapin wouldn't be discovered, April asked her aunt when she would be away on business and coordinated the date with her friend. They set up a high-powered telescope that Donnie had scavenged and repaired on the roof of her apartment building. The night was going to be a little chilly for the New York residents, so April prepared hot chocolate, currently steaming hot inside a thermos, to warm them up later. Donnie brought a few blankets in his bag just in case the hot chocolate wasn't enough to combat the chills of the night.

Studying the stars carefully, Donnie finally found the first of many constellations. He lifted his head and glanced at April. Meeting her excited smile with his own, he found his voice after a moment.

"It's beautiful. T-the sky I mean," he stammered, gripping the telescope nervously. Before he could ramble, April stepped forward to the eyepiece and gently took it from his hands.

"So, what did you want to show me?" she asked. Donnie's science mode kicked in and he relaxed. She was his best friend, after all. She wanted to be out here with him and that was all that mattered. And by Einstein's mustache, he was going to make the most of this time.

"Well, Miss O'Neil," he began dramatically. "If you look and see the bright star, Hamal, towards the upper right, you can make a connection to another star far above it and a little to the left. Do you see it?"

"I'm pretty sure I found them," April responded. She followed his directions and her eyes traveled across the mass of stars through the telescope.

"Below Hamal, there's another bright star called Sheraton. Draw lines between all three of those and another star below Sheraton. What's the constellation?" he quizzed her. April tapped her finger to her chin for a moment, and then smirked.

"Is it Raph? I was thinking Aries, but then I remembered that Raph does like to _ram _into things," she joked, glancing up at Donnie.

"You could say he has a tendency to _butt heads_ with Leo," he remarked. Giggling at their puns, April turned her focus back to the telescope.

"All right, let's see if I can find one for you to figure out the name of."

"Bring it on. I'll bet that I can find it faster than you did," he challenged her.

"Oh, I doubt it. I'll make this one tough," April ribbed him. After a few moments of searching, she found a group of stars that might throw the genius off.

"Your turn." She stepped aside to allow Donnie a go. "Do you see that cluster that makes a thin diamond?"

"Yup. I see it," confidence seeping through his words.

"The bottom star of that is the top corner of a rectangle. The opposite corner of the rectangle from the edge of the diamond connects to two stars on the lower right."

"I am mentally drawing the lines."

"What constellation is that?"

"Hmm." Concentrated in thought, Donnie unconsciously stuck out his tongue. "Is it. . . Lacerta the lizard?"

"Actually, it's you," April grinned deviously.

"I'm a turtle, not a lizard! I thought you knew what species I was by now!" he whined.

"You're a lizard because you stick out your tongue like one," April said.

"And when do I stick out my tongue? I didn't use it to catch worms from my dinner plate before we discovered pizza," he said indignantly.

"You do it all the time! Just now when you were thinking, your tongue was right there in broad daylight- well nighttime- but I could see it is my point." She poked him in the plastron to get her point across.

"Do I really? Huh, I guess I never noticed that before," Donnie realized. Leave it to April to point out something even he didn't know.

"Well what kind of ninja doesn't notice his own habits?" he jokingly asked, rubbing the back of his head. April put on a pouting face at this remark. She knew he often compared himself to his brothers when it came to his ninuitsu skills. He was amazing at what he did, especially compared to a beginner like April.

"A pretty great ninja. You can balance on two fingers for hours on end. That takes a lot of skill. I can hardly do a proper kick combo." Donnie needed to realize how far he had come since his childhood training. Berating himself wouldn't do him any good. And, even though she didn't like to admit it, she still had a ways to go to catch up with him.

"You'll get there," he encouraged her. "It just takes hours upon hours of practice to learn the proper form." She knew he was trying to compliment her, and she did appreciate that, but she wanted him to acknowledge his own worth. She had to try an indirect approach.

"Until I get it, you'd better appreciate your ninja skills. Because one day I'll kick your shell. Then you can worry about how good you are," April said with a smirk.

"You're going to give me a run for my money. Still, I can't wait until that day," he said honestly. "Maybe Leo will finally ask you to join us on patrols. Then the city will be even safer under our watch."

"It's already pretty safe with you guys fighting the Kraang and the Foot all the time, but thanks," she smiled.

The mention of the Kraang reminded Donnie of their last mission in TCRI. Leatherhead was a difficult loss for the turtles, even if he had a tendency of grabbing Donnie's face and trying to pull his head out of his shell. What really shook them up was the realization that the Kraang were after April instead of her father. It was worrisome enough that she was involved in the fight against the Kraang, but her being the center of their attention was enough to mark them as a greater threat than before.

"I'm more worried about the Kraang getting to you," he confessed. Ever since he had decoded the file the Kraang had on April, he and his brothers checked up on her more often. Mikey was usually the one to text her while she was at school, but they all made sure that the Kraang hadn't found her when they couldn't be by her side. They invited her over to the lair for more visits than her aunt was comfortable with considering she knew little about April's "school friends". April was part of the family, and family looked out for each other when they were in trouble.

April shrugged. The Kraang knew where she went to school and it was only a matter of time before they found her current address. That part did scare her. But she had an army of ninjas by her side.

"Well, I can't help why they're after me, but that's why I have you. And Leo. And Raph. And Mikey. And Splinter. I know I'm safe when you're around and that's enough to keep me from being afraid all the time." She looked up at Donnie sincerely and he blushed modestly.

However, her attention was quickly diverted. Looking past Donnie, she spotted something in the distance.

"Uh, Donnie?"

He followed the direction her finger was pointing. Then he saw it. A green light soared across the sky and faded out. But a brightly colored shape was still approaching them. Donnie quickly dove for his bag and dug through the contents.

"What are you looking for? You're going to miss it!" April exclaimed.

"I need better eyes to see it with. Aha!" He triumphantly pulled out a spyglass and aimed it at the oncoming shape. As it passed nearly directly above them, he caught a human shape among flashes of red and purple. He followed the shape until it dove down into the distant alleys.

"It looked like a human wearing a purple outfit," he said.

"Where did they come from?" April asked. Donnie ran a few dozen calculations and followed the direction the stranger came from.

"By my guess, I'm 89% sure they came from TCRI."

"Maybe they were someone the Kraang poured mutagen on," April sadly guessed. She hugged herself at the thought. "I hope it wasn't Dad."

Donnie placed his hands on her shoulders and met her eyes.

"They wouldn't hurt your father. They need him in good shape so that they can get you. And I'm not about to let that happen," he promised her. April stepped into his plastron and he wrapped his arms around her, protecting her from the worries that plagued her.

She could always rely on him to keep her safe when she felt vulnerable. April O'Neil was a tough cookie, but she still needed reassurance from someone once in a while. If anything, Donnie was a pillar of strength that grounded her through the trials of life.

"Besides, I don't think your dad wears purple. It doesn't really work for him," he added.

* * *

><p>Her first instinct was to hide. She dove from the sky and ducked down in the alleyways of the unfamiliar city. Leaning against a wall for balance, Starfire rubbed her arms, exiling any thoughts of what the creatures could have done to her.<p>

"I have escaped. I am away from them. Take deep breaths," she told herself. Inhaling, she eased out of her shallow breaths into deeper, calmer ones. Slowly, but surely she reduced her heart rate and regained her senses.

"Okay, what do I do now? The Titans. I must contact my friends." Walking herself through protocol that Robin had drilled into the team, she remembered the first steps of being lost in an unfamiliar location. Reaching into her pocket, her fingers touched a familiar device. Thankfully, the creatures had not taken her communicator.

"Hmm, for a species of brains, they do not seem to be very intelligent," she commented to no one in particular. She opened the screen and pleaded to X'Hal that the signal would reach her friends. After a few moments, disappointment fell on her. The only response she received was static.

"Please, Robin. Cyborg. Anyone, please respond! Please. . ." Hanging her head, she bit her lip. A noise from the shadows of the alley made her jump. She pointed a starbolt at the disturbance, only to find a cat holding a freshly caught rat in its jaws. Lowering her arm, her starbolt faded. She couldn't stay here.

The next step in the protocol was to find a safe place. If in an unfamiliar location, it was unwise to allow the locals to spot you. They knew how to tell a stranger apart from the crowd and being discovered here would be more than dangerous. If trouble arose, she had no way of calling for backup. Poking her head out of the alleyway, Starfire took in her surroundings. The city was a concrete jungle, certainly different from the open atmosphere of Jump City. Buildings were built close together and made to cram as many people in one place as comfortably as possible. The outdoors would make it easy for someone to spot her. She would have to find a building to hide in.

Then she saw it. A condemned apartment complex that was in dire need of rebuilding, complete with boarded windows. Hopefully no workers would come by to begin demolition for some time. Making sure no one was in the dimly-lit street, Starfire darted to the building and flew up to one of the closed off windows in the alleyway. She easily removed a plank and squeezed through the narrow opening.

Looking around, she found that the furniture from the previous owner was still there. Everything was draped in cloths in an attempt to keep away the dust. After removing a few cloths, she finally found a couch. There were a few stains and it smelled of mothballs, but it was otherwise in good condition. Settling down, she took care to not to let the fabric touch her sensitive back. She would need to treat that in the morning, along with trying to contact the Justice League or anyone who could assist her.

For now, all she could do was try to get a good night's rest. It never came to her. With her emotions overwhelmed with loss and confusion, the chill of the night air sent goosebumps travelling across her skin. When she finally did fall asleep, nightmares chased her conscious into the darkest parts of her memories. A single thought brought some peace to the endless night.

"Robin," she whispered.

* * *

><p><em>"Our cameras captured footage of an explosion in one of the upper floors. Can you tell us what happened here at your facility?" a reporter asked her interviewee. As she spoke, the clip she referenced played on the screen and cut to the front receptionist.<em>

_"What happened was a mishap with a chemistry experiment. No one was injured and there is no need for concern," she answered in a clipped tone._

_"It seems like more than a chemical combo gone wrong. Some are concerned for the safety of your workers if something like this happened right under your noses," the reporter added. _

_"No one was injured and there is no need for concern," the receptionist repeated in the same tone. "All of our workers are equipped for such emergencies and we will ensure that it does not happen again. No more questions. We are closed right now." _

Donnie paused the news feed video of TCRI on his laptop. He and April mulled over what Ms. Campbell had said, or rather what she refused to say.

"Looks like her lips are sealed tight. Then again, she's not going to say anything to regular humans," April commented.

"Well if she won't say anything, we can always do our own investigating." Through a few strokes of the keyboard, Donnie rewound the video back to the footage of the green explosion. He zoomed in and improved the quality of the image to get a better look. April squinted at the image, leaning closer to the screen.

"It looks like a human girl, but she seems. . . different somehow," she said, sharing a worried glance with Donnie. Based on the image, they both feared that the Kraang were experimenting on humans.

"Let me try something." Donnie dug and opened up a missing person's database from the New York Police Department's secure files. Running a search for young, redheaded women, he leaned back in his chair, waiting for the results. April set a hand on his shoulder at the several images of women that were never found, hoping that their families found some kind of peace. Donnie understood and leaned into her touch.

They compared the girl in the video to the women, but none of them seemed to match. The face types weren't right and their hair wasn't nearly as brightly colored as the girl.

"Maybe her hair color changed," April suggested.

"It's definitely a possibility. The Kraang are getting pretty crafty at testing genes from all varieties of animals," Donnie agreed. Just then, the door to the lab opened, causing April and Donnie to look up. Splinter strode in with the rest of his sons following closely behind him.

"Did you find any information on what escaped?" he asked. After they came back to the lair, Donnie and April explained to everyone what they had seen. While Splinter did not normally involve himself in his son's missions, this one in particular intrigued him.

"Not what. Who," April corrected.

"We found a news image of the explosion and we found her," Donnie said as he enlarged the image on his laptop. Everyone leaned in to get a better look. Leo grew serious at the prospect of human civilians being harmed. Mikey tilted his head, wondering who the girl was. Raph studied her, wondering how she managed to blow up an entire floor. Splinter stroked his thin beard, wondering what such a powerful being could mean.

"I did a basic search on the missing person's database, but we didn't find her listed. I can search more thoroughly through it tonight," Donnie continued.

"If she got away from the Kraang, then she needs our help," Mikey piped up.

"Mikey's right," Leo said.

"He is?" Raph asked.

"Whoever she is, she's not friends with the Kraang and needs help controlling whatever powers she has. But if she can create explosions and fly, then we need to be sure she doesn't hurt anyone. We need to find her before the Kraang do and see what she can tell us about what the they're are up to," Leo decided.

Mikey turned his attention back to the girl as Leo spoke. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would hurt anyone. To him, she seemed scared, despite the damage she caused to TCRI. Hopefully, they would find her soon.

* * *

><p>Smoothing out her skirt, Starfire carefully stepped out of the alleyway and followed the light flow of pedestrian traffic. So far, her plan was going well. No one spared her a glance, meaning she could blend in for now. As far as the civilians knew, she was simply an everyday girl making her way downtown.<p>

Her main concern was whether or not she could use her powers in public. It was no trouble back home, as everyone in Jump City knew what she and the other Titans looked like and were accepting of them. However, she remembered Cyborg discussing a theory that parallel worlds existed without superheroes. This dimension could easily be one of those places.

After traveling for a few blocks, she found a convenience store. She opened the door and walked inside. The cashier kept his nose buried in a newspaper, not acknowledging his newest customer. Starfire found a rotating stand and began to rummage through it.

She lifted a solitary map out of the stand, holding it carefully. It read "New York" at the top in bold letters. So she was in the United States. Maybe Jump City existed in this dimension. Glancing at the stand once more, she felt disappointed at the lack of a map of the nation. Pondering what to do next, a flash of blue and red caught her eye.

In the store across the street, an employee was setting up a large poster of Superman. Starfire set the map down and rushed across the street, barely dodging a speeding taxi. Briefly apologizing over her shoulder, she grinned at the sight of a familiar face. So superheroes were known in this world. There was a chance she could make contact with the Justice League here!

With this place being her only feasible lead, she strode into the store, hoping they were hosting an event in the near future. When they had time, the Titans would sometimes make appearances at fundraisers or the children's hospital to make a more personal connection with the public. Perhaps it was the same here.

"Welcome to Carl's Comics," a voice said. Starfire turned and politely smiled at the cashier. The dark-skinned man with a tag reading "Malachi" leaned on the counter, happy at the sight of a new customer on a slow day. "I don't believe I've seen you around here. You ever been here?" he asked casually.

"No, I have not. I only found this establishment today," Starfire replied honestly. So far, most of the people seemed concerned with only their personal business. Malachi's friendly attitude was a welcome change for her.

"Well, glad you could come. And I love your Starfire cosplay," he commented, gesturing at her outfit.

"You know who I am?" she lit up. Her spirit lifted and her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

"Sure do. I'm really into Teen Titans right now. It's an older comic, but it's fun to see younger characters kick some butt. We have a new shipment of them. Would you like to see them?" he offered.

"I believe I would," she hesitated. A comic? Back home, the comics featured fictional characters. Was that not the case in this world? Malachi led her to an opened cardboard box set aside on a shelf. He triumphantly pulled out a brand new comic in a plastic sleeve and presented it to her.

"Check it out," he said as she examined it. "The manufacturing company decided to make new copies to appeal to the younger generation. Then the collectors can stop whining about not having enough antique editions in the store."

"May I open it?" she asked carefully.

"Normally I wouldn't, but my manager's not around. Go ahead and I'll make that the reader's copy," he grinned. "I need to line these up actually and take stock, but take a look." He picked up the box and brought it to the front of the store, where the shelves where beginning to look bare.

"Thank you," she called after him. Stafire opened the packaging and stared at the cover. She recognized herself, Cyborg, Robin, Beast Boy, and a few other Titans. The outfits were stylistically different, but the color scheme was true to each Titan. Carefully opening the small book, she gasped at the image. The Titans were battling Trigon. Raven was nowhere to be found and each hero carried battle damage.

These comics were not published fan stories. They depicted actual events that happened. She shut the book in fear. What if these books told the future of the Titans? What if she learned something she was not supposed to? Even worse was the realization that for these comics to exist would mean that the Teen Titans did not in this dimension. The official reporting of the Titans activities belonged only in the newspaper and on parts of the Internet Robin discouraged the team from peeking through.

There was no one to contact. She had to stay hidden unless she wanted to risk drawing attention to herself. The only way home was through those awful brain creatures.

Starfire paced to Malachi and presented him with the comic. He seemed surprised, but took the comic back.

"Thanks. You sure you don't want it? It's going to be hard to sell it now with the packaging undone," he said. Starfire shook her head vehemently.

"I am certain. I wish you a most pleasant day," she said quickly before heading out the door.

"Oh! You too! Wait. . ." He reached after her briefly, wondering why she left so suddenly. He hoped she would come back. She was a really cute girl and she could work a crop top like no tomorrow.

Over the next few days, Starfire spent the daytime scavenging for spare food from the dumpsters by restaurants and bakeries. She also soothed her aching back with ice she coerced from a male cashier of a store with a soda machine. She glanced at the injury in a bathroom mirror, but there was little she could do about the damage without medical supplies. Besides, she was certain she could receive attention on it once she returned home.

At night, she kept a vigilant watch on the building she escaped from. She learned the name of TCRI when passing by a television store that was playing the news channel. The featured story presented a video of her escape from the living nightmare. So far, the only activity was the occasional truck pulling into the side garage. Finally, her opportunity came.

A lone Kraang left the building and ventured into the city. Tracking him like a hawk, Starfire followed the robot carefully and determinately. This one would be the one to tell her how she could make her way home. She was sure of it.

* * *

><p>April left Mr. Murakami's, happy that she finally got a fresh meal that wasn't pizza for once. Homework was out of the way, so maybe she could head down to the lair and get some extra training with Splinter done.<p>

About to turn the street corner, April halted at the sound of familiar whirring. She ducked down and peeked around the corner. Across the way, two Kraang were walking to meet each other in front of the flower shop.

"Kraang, did you receive the latest announcement from Kraang," one droned.

"I did, Kraang. I am looking forward to finding this new source of energy that is known as a battery. Then perhaps Kraang can return to the dimension of Kraang for the time that is known as vacation time at more frequent intervals," the other responded in monotone. April squinted her eyes. A new battery source for the Kraang didn't sound like good news.

"Agreed. Kraang must continue to the base that Kraang was assigned to."

"Kraang also must continue. Have a Kraang night, Kraang." They continued on and April took off after the first Kraang. If he was going to another base, it would be an advantage for her to learn the location for the guys. It was possible that they were holding her father there. Whipping out her phone, she sent out an urgent message to Leo.

Whatever those aliens were up to, April was going to find out. Her stubborn O'Neil streak would make sure of it.


	3. Healing and Reconciling

Kraang entered the shadowy alleyway, heading for the back entrance of the facility. Kraang remembered a night when there was little work to be done, so Kraang and several fellow Kraang exchanged human horror stories to pass the time. One tale involved a man losing part of his suit in an alleyway while trying to escape a vicious monster. The man only looked back once to see glowing eyes emerging from the darkness.

Kraang blinked, deciding that such tales were invented by humans to scare small, annoying children. There was no need for a superior being such as a Kraang to fear an attack. Unless it was from one of the turtles.

Kraang reached Kraang's false hand towards the door knob when something snatched Kraang's human costume. Kraang was jolted backwards and slammed into the wall. A hand gripped Kraangs shoulder, nearly crushing it, and a bright green light left Kraang's false pupils struggling to process the image.

Maybe some human stories weren't so false after all.

"You stole me from my home. Tell me how I can get back," a voice demanded. Kraang's processors filtered the light and a young woman with glowing green eyes came into view.

"Kraang does not have the knowledge that you ask of Kraang," Kraang droned. Kraang's shoulder began to crack under her hand.

"I fell through one of your portals from another dimension. Tell me how I can use a portal to return home," she repeated, her tone more dangerous. She shoved her glowing hand closer to Kraang's rubbery face, inciting Kraang to give her what she wanted.

"Kraang will not give you the answers that you seek from Kraang." Even though Kraang was beginning to grow terrified of this girl's strength, Kraang did not yet crack under the pressure.

Not willing to leave without answers, Starfire growled. She remembered that her hand was latched onto a robot body and the human disguise was merely a costume. Reaching for the stomach, Starfire ripped away the rubber skin to reveal the brain operating the robot. Kraang's eyes opened in shock and were met with a menacing starbolt.

"I will only ask one more time. How do I get back home?" she hissed. _That_ got Kraang talking.

"You would need access to that which is known as a portal. The calibration settings would need to be set to the settings that would connect to a portal that is located in your home dimension," Kraang relinquished. This didn't satisfy her.

"I know I need to reset a portal. I am asking how I can get to and adjust a portal without risking capture by you creatures guarding the facilities," she said. There was a small chance that she would know how to operate a portal and an even smaller chance that she could make her way through a Kraang base without being caught by patrols.

"It is that which is known as too late for you to seek that which you seek," Kraang responded. A door slammed open and whirring noises sounded from behind her. Starfire whirled around to see nearly half a dozen robots aiming lasers at her.

"Kraang commands you do to that which is known as-"

Starfire fired her starbolt at the rambling robot and threw the Kraang she was gripping into the group. Many of them toppled over and Starfire took off into the air. Lasers sailed past her and she ducked behind a car parked on the curb.

Her hand curled into a glowing fist. They ruined her plan and she had no other options left. They were going to pay, one way or another.

* * *

><p>April met the turtles on the rooftop opposite the alleyway the Kraang entered. It disappeared from their immediate sight, but they assumed it entered an unlisted facility. They would need to go into stealth mode to find out what they were up to this time around. April itched at the opportunity to finally join them on a mission. She looked expectantly at Leo, but his conflicted expression told her otherwise.<p>

"April, you stay here while we investigate," he decided.

"Come on, Leo," she whined. "It'll be an easy mission."

"The Kraang are after you and we're not going to risk hand delivering you to them. We don't know what will happen in there," he reasoned. April pouted, hating when Leo was right.

"She'd be out here by herself though. April would be safer with us right next to her," Donnie said. He wanted April to go on missions with them sooner than later and now seemed like a good place to start. Hopefully his argument that she needed their protection didn't offend her. She was progressing well in her stealth training, but she was nowhere near ready for battle.

Leo considered what his brother said, but his decision still stood.

"She'll be safer outside of a Kraang facility," he said to Donnie. "And you won't be alone because Mikey will stay here with you."

"All right! Orange team is a go!" Mikey cheered.

"Mikey, my hair is red, not orange," April said, still miffed about being discounted from the action again.

"It's close enough," he replied.

An explosion sounded from below, followed by a barrage of lasers. Everyone's attention snapped to the disturbance, thinking they had been discovered. What they spied below was a far bigger surprise. A young woman flew from the alleyway and took shelter behind a car.

"Who is that?" Raph asked. April and Donnie squinted their eyes, trying to get a better look at her. Her hands and eyes glowed green and her unusual shade of hair seemed familiar.

"Is that. . .?"

"I think it is!" Their eyes met in unison. April gripped Donnie's shoulder and shook him in recognition.

"That's the girl who escaped from TCRI!" Donnie explained to his confused brothers.

"She has the same bright red hair and purple outfit. And- woah!"

To everyone's shock, the lean girl easily picked up the large car that was at least three times her size. She began shouting in a language even Donnie couldn't recognize.

"Kesroth muheth! Gorfork ig ulfnack!"

Tossing the car over her head, it crashed hood first into the alley, smashing the wave of Kraang firing at her. With her enemy defeated, she stood defiantly on the street. The glow in her hands faded after a moment. The Hamato clan was frozen in awe and fear of her raw power. They had seen many unusual abilities in their battles with mutants, but this girl was by far the greatest force to be reckoned with.

After a moment, the girl shook her head and pushed off the gravel to fly. She fled away from the scene and the ninja clan jumped into action.

"Quick, follow her! But don't let her see you," Leo ordered. They began roof jumping and April almost immediately fell behind. Donnie slowed his pace and offered his hand to her. April glanced at the girl's fading figure. She was already almost out of sight and here April was slowing everyone down. Reluctantly, she grasped Donnie's hand and he lifted her into his arms.

"Don't worry, you'll get there. In the meantime, enjoy the free ride," he joked.

". . . Thank you for not rubbing it in my face, Donnie," she mumbled after a moment.

Donnie beamed reassuringly, happy for the chance to hold his princess close.

* * *

><p>Flying away from the disastrous fight, Starfire eventually landed on a rooftop littered with empty wooden boxes. It wasn't well hidden by the shadows of billboards, but she preferred it that way. Hiding in the dark while scavenging for food and spying on the brains had taken its toll on her spirit. She thrived on the life sunshine brought, not the secrets the night kept.<p>

Nothing about her situation had changed. Hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar dimension, there was no one who could help her. Surely those creatures would be on the lookout for her at each hideout. They now knew she needed their technology to return home and they would not relinquish it so easily. Her hands curled tightly into fists. Infuriated, the Tamaranean picked up a box and hurled it across the rooftops with a roar. The box skidded and tumbled past water towers, eventually descending into the alleyways below. She turned and lifted another box to smash, then halted.

This is what she did when she first landed on Earth. She destroyed whatever stood in her path to remove those accursed handcuffs. The only reason she stopped to gain her senses was because. . .

The box dropped to the roof with a thud, hands drooping to her side. Her vision blurred, the tears flowing before she could stop them. Falling to her knees, Starfire clapped a hand to her mouth, holding back a sob. Her heart threatened to burst. Wiping at her eyes, she couldn't contain the loneliness that plagued her. A single name sprung to her lips.

"Robin. . ." she cried. She silently begged for his help. She needed him to hold her in his arms and reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Her hand opened, trying to summon the feeling of his hand taking hers. Only the cold night air rested on her palm.

Little did she know that she was being watched. On the adjacent roof, five sets of eyed silently bore witness to her moment of despair. Every one of them felt for the lost girl. However, they had to handle the situation carefully. She had easily tossed a car and could do the same to them. Mikey, in particular, observed her with curiosity. He couldn't shake the hunch that she seemed familiar.

"Is this the same girl? That crate she chucked nearly splintered my face. And now we have to get her to stop crying," Raph complained. Although he didn't want her to be upset, he was miffed that a flying box was a split second away from doing his face in.

"It's her all right. Same hair, same clothing. I doubt there's anyone else that looks like her that likes to hang out on rooftops," Donnie said.

"She's probably been through a lot because of the Kraang. I don't blame her for being upset," April added.

"We saw what she can do, so let's approach her with caution," Leo began quietly. "I'll talk to her and see. . ."

"No way," Mikey gasped. How could have he not recognized one of his idols sooner? He leapt from behind the elevated edge, ignoring everyone's protests. Rushing towards the distraught girl, he called her name excitedly.

"Starfire! Starfire!"

"Beast Boy?"

Starfire's head shot up and she leapt into the air, searching for the speaker. Her eyes lit up as she wiped away the fading tears. A green blur came within view and she opened her arms to meet the excited turtle with a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around her lower waist as she remained floating above the roof. She clung to him for a moment, but only then did she get a good look at him.

"Beast Boy? How did you locate me? Is this a new animal form of yours? I see that you are a turtle, but do they grow this large on Earth?"

"Huh? Beast Boy? Is he here too?" Mikey asked. He tilted his head back to beam at his hero.

She let go and feet descended to the roof. Mikey loosened his grip on her and opened his mouth to speak, but Starfire beat him to the punch.

"Beast Boy cannot speak in his animal form! Who are you? How do you know my name?" She stepped out of his reach, raising her arms defensively. At this, the rest of the Hamato clan leaped out from behind the rooftop edge, hands reaching for weapons. Mikey knew the situation looked bad, so he had to act fast before things escalated into a fight.

"The name's Michelangelo. I'm a lean, green fighting machine, and I'm a huge Teen Titans fan! I've been reading your comics for the past few weeks!" he quickly explained. Starfire's defenses began to fall, but she warily eyed his family behind him. He continued on.

"I only have a few issues, but April's nice enough to buy me comics once in a while. Hey April! Can I have more Teen Titans comics! I want to show them to Starfire!" he chattered excitedly. Turning his head, he was relieved to see that his brothers hadn't drawn their weapons. They crossed the gap one by one to reach Mikey.

"Let's wait on the comics. I think we have other things to worry about right now," April stated after jumping the chasm, Donnie watching to be certain she landed safely. After a moment, Starfire lowered her arms, reassuring his family that she wouldn't attack them.

"Forgive me. I forgot about the types of comics that exist here. I believed for a moment that you might have been working for the brain creatures," she explained. As she spoke, Mikey's brothers and April fell in next to him.

"You mean the Kraang," Leo corrected her. "They're a nuisance for us too, so we don't really work for them. We saw you being attacked by them a couple of blocks from here."

"April and I also saw you escape from TCRI a few days ago. We ran your image through a missing person's database, but couldn't find any matches. Are you a mutant that the Kraang made?" Donnie asked cautiously, not wanting to offend her.

"No genius," Raph rolled his eyes. "Mikey just said that she was a character in his comic books. I doubt that the Kraang are fans of Superman."

"Teen Titans, not Superman!" Mikey objected.

"It's the same universe, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but Superman's hardly in it, so the comic isn't about him. It's about awesome teenage crime fighters. Like us!"

"We don't have secret identities or powers through some hokey radiation science. Well, we were mutated from regular turtles, but that's not what I meant," Donnie said.

"Are you kidding me? She thought I was Beast Boy. That's gotta be some sort of sign that we're like their doppelgangers or something!"

As they continued on their tangent, April looked at Leo. Her exasperated expression mirrored his. He tilted his head towards Starfire and April nodded. She stepped forward to draw her attention away from the ensuing argument between the younger brothers.

"So, besides all that," referring to the superhero discussion. "How exactly did you end up in TCRI?" Knowing it wouldn't be a happy story, she waited for Starfire's response. The lost girl needed to know that they were listening, despite the boys' tendency to get sidetracked. Behind her, Leo shushed his brothers with a sharp "guys" and they soon turned their attention back to Starfire. Realizing they were waiting on her, she took a breath and began her story.

"I-I was patrolling my home city when I noticed that my friends Cyborg and Beast Boy were spying on a warehouse. I met with them and they explained to me that they had followed a strange robot disguised as a human. We did not wish to engage in battle until we learned more, so Beast Boy made his way inside as an insect. He was discovered and we rushed in to rescue him. During the fight, one of the brai- Kraang activated their portal and I was hit by a laser and fell through. The portal closed after me, so I attempted to turn it on. When I was not looking, they. . . knocked me out and I later woke up. They were about to. . . perform experiments, so I escaped. Ever since, I have been watching their headquarters closely, hoping to find a way home." She clenched her hands when recalling certain details. April was relieved that the Kraang hadn't experimented on her as she initially thought, but she was still a long ways from home.

"So you're from a different dimension. Looks like the Kraang are invading more than just New York," Leo realized.

Raph wondered why they would want to experiment on her instead of throwing her in a prison cell, but he held his tongue. Clearly she was holding back certain details for personal reasons that he had no business sticking his nose in.

"Don't worry, Starfire. We'll help you get back. We've broken into TCRI before and lived. We can definitely do it again if you're there helping us with your awesome powers," Mikey said.

"Powers," Donnie repeated. He recalled her glowing eyes. "Wait, let me see that green energy you emit." Starfire glanced at her hand and summoned a stationary starbolt. Donnie's eyes widened in fascination.

"Incredible! With this kind of energy, you could easily blast through all kinds of hardened material. Maybe even through the metal alloid that the Kraang use." While Donnie excitedly observed her starbolt, something clicked in April's mind.

"Wait, remember how I said that the Kraang found a new possible battery source? I think that your powers are it," she told Starfire. "We got a hold of their battery a while back, so they probably wanted to use your energy to make more. You're lucky you got out of there in time."

Starfire's expression fell at the realization. Memories of the Psions began to creep towards the forefront of her mind. Never again.

Mikey watched her reaction carefully. The entire time she spoke, she seemed more and more anxious. Being lost wasn't the only thing that was bothering her. But how could he help her feel better? Mikey racked his brain for ideas and a metaphorical light bulb brightened.

"Well, since we'll be helping you out, why don't you stay at our place?"

"Mikey, Splinter won't be very happy with us if we bring another stranger to the lair," Leo said.

"Not to mention we don't know if we can trust her," Raph pointed out. He believed her story, but that didn't change the fact that he had no idea what other intentions she had.

"Oh come on! She needs our help! And the Kraang are after her," Mikey protested. "There's no safer place than the lair and besides, we'll need time to come up with a plan to get her back through the portal."

"I appreciate your offer, but I am capable of remaining safe in my current place of residence," Starfire offered. She did not wish to disrupt the family by staying in their home.

"And where exactly are you staying right now?" April asked.

"In an abandoned apartment."

An awkward pause followed. No one could find the appropriate words until Mikey's hospitality instincts kicked in.

"Unacceptable! You need fresh pizza and a comfy place to rest," Mikey insisted. As he spoke, he patted her on the back. At his touch, she flinched rather noticeably. Raph narrowed his eyes.

_Now she's finally getting that we're mutants, _he thought dejectedly.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked. Starfire stepped the slightest bit away from Mikey.

"I am. . . sore from fighting the Kraang is all," she said, a fake smile plastering her face. Not believing Starfire in the slightest, April gripped her shoulder with one hand and moved her hair to the side with the other in one motion. She gasped loudly, covering her mouth. Starfire turned away from April, her flowing red hair briefly suspended in the air. Only in that moment did Raph see the injury on the middle of her back.

_That's what she was hiding!_ he realized. She left certain details out of her story to cover the fact that she had a blistering red and pink burn on her back.

"You're a little more than sore. Your back is burned! Was it from their laser guns?" April asked. After much hesitation, Starfire nodded. Donnie stepped forward.

"Here, let me take a look at it." Starfire reluctantly turned her back to him and tucked her hair to the side. He analyzed the injury with the full attention of a trained surgeon and soon came to a diagnosis.

"This is a second degree burn. You need to get this treated. It could result in a really bad infection soon if you don't get antibiotics. I have a few things back in my lab that should help ease the pain."

"I am a warrior. Such wounds are reminders that I have fought bravely in battle. I thank you for your generous offer, but I do not require medical treatment," Starfire boldly stated. Having her injury exposed agitated her and she refused to accept pity over something that she was capable of enduring on her own. Hardly any of her past enemies managed to damage her physically, so a simple laser to the back leaving a mark was a blow to her pride.

"We're warriors too. We fight and when we get hurt, we have to take care of it so it doesn't get worse," Leo said. If they were going to help her, he needed her to cooperate. "If we keep fighting with, say a bad arm, it can end up costing us our lives."

"Besides, it gives you an excuse to lie in bed and have other people do nice things for you," Mikey added. Raph reached over to smack his brother on the back of the head.

"Doofus," he muttered.

"At least let us get it disinfect and bandage your back. It'll speed up the healing process," Donnie said.

"And if you get sick because of an infection, then it'll take longer to get you home," April added, sharing a glance with Donnie.

Starfire pondered the idea. It would be better to return home as soon as possible. She already was lucky enough to meet someone who knew about the Kraang and were willing to help her. For the past few days, she grasped at memories of her friends to feel the tiniest bit closer to them. Perhaps the company of this family would ease that hole in her heart. And food that didn't smell like Urakilyn waste would better settle in her nine stomachs.

"Very well. I will allow you to treat my injury. And I am most grateful for any help you can provide me with," Starfire concluded, a genuine smile gracing her lips this time.

"All right! We've got a house guest" Mikey exclaimed. He leapt into the air and grasped Starfire's hands with his larger ones. "C'mon! I can show you all of my favorite movies and my collectible action figures and- oh! You _have _to try one of my pizza shakes!"

"That sounds most delectable!" Starfire giggled as Mikey began tugging her towards the lair. The others could only stare after them in mild horror.

"I really hope she doesn't have the same taste in food as Mikey," Raph said. The last thing he needed was her encouraging Mikey to experiment with food combinations.

"I guess we're about to find out," Leo shrugged.

* * *

><p>So far, they hadn't made much progress. Cyborg could only learn so much about the portal without taking it completely apart to reverse engineer it. Both he and Robin agreed that the portal needed to remain intact for Starfire to have a better chance of finding a way home. Her skill in technology was considerably advanced thanks to her childhood tutors. Maybe she would be able to figure out how to activate the portal on her side. In the meantime, all Cyborg could do was run scans on the foreign technology and repair it as best as he could.<p>

Raven spent the entire night meditating, trying to locate Starfire's energy signature or make psychic contact. She couldn't find a trace anywhere in Jump City. Robin set up a scanner to lock on Starfire's starbolt frequency. The last time they needed the high-powered scanner was when Cyborg ended up several thousand years in the past. So far, no results came in. Robin had to constantly remind himself that it would take time if Starfire went wherever the Kraang were from.

Beast Boy mentioned that Starfire did not recognize the alien species, so it was possible that they came from a place farther than the deep reaches of space. Wherever she was, the Titans would find her.

Robin glanced at his communicator. No word yet from Cyborg. He was still back at the Kraang base while Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy brought the captured Kraang back to Titan's Tower in a damaged robotic suit. Robin interrogated the creature and got minimal information out of it. After locking it down in the interrogation room, he kept an eye on it through security footage. Now would be a good time to work at it again.

Robin turned away from the main scanners. It was well in the late hours of the night. Raven was likely still meditating in her room. Beast Boy searched the city up and down, but found no other traces of Kraang bases. So he came home around 2am and collapsed on the couch, feeling more dejected than ever for what happened to his friend.

Robin approached the curled up boy and shook his shoulder gently.

"Beast Boy. Beast Boy," he whispered.

Beast Boy blinked wearily, then practically shot up, nearly smacking Robin in the face with his flailing limbs.

"Starfire?" After glancing around, Beast Boy's ears drooped. It wasn't a dream. She really was missing. Robin held his breath.

"Come on, you should go to your room for sleep," he said. Robin began walking to the main door.

"Where you going?" Beast Boy asked, rubbing his eyes.

"To the interrogation room," Robin answered in a clipped tone.

Beast Boy hurried over the top of the couch and after Robin, reaching his hand out.

"Wait! Robin, I'm. . . I'm sorry," Beast Boy whimpered. Robin paused, still not looking at his friend.

"It's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault for not getting to her sooner," he said, every word filled with regret. His fists clenched as he spoke.

"But if I hadn't been seen then. . ." Beast Boy wiped at his face with his sleeve. "I haven't done anything and I just want to help bring her back." He lifted his eyes when Robin rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Beast Boy, if you didn't find that Kraang, we wouldn't have any leads. But if you want, you can help me get more information out of him. I'm sure a velociraptor or a bear would loosen his tongue," Robin said, traces of a smile emerging.

Beast Boy beamed and took Robin's arm to drag him along. The two boys trotted down the hall together, ready to get into serious business.

" Dude, I'm basically an expert in interrogating," he bragged.

"Are you really?" Robin raised his eyebrow.

"I once interrogated talking tofu one time. He fessed up his weakness after I pulled out barbeque sauce," Beast Boy said.

Robin had no way to argue with Beast Boy's logic. He felt better knowing that his friend was still his usual self despite the gaping void that Starfire left in all of them.

_We're coming, Starfire. Just hold on a little while longer._

* * *

><p>The boys blindfolded Starfire as they brought her into the lair to ensure she wouldn't know how to get in. Donnie and April lead her to the lab to work on treating her burn. Mikey followed, chatting with Starfire nonstop since he insisted on bringing her home.<p>

Leo went straight to the dojo with Raph to explain the situation to Splinter, who was coming out of meditation. Leo saw helping her as their duty, and while Raph still had his doubts, he begrudgingly agreed with his brother. After what the Kraang put her through, they couldn't throw her back on the streets.

From what his sons described to him, Splinter thought that Starfire seemed trustworthy enough. However, that judgment would have to be reserved until he could officially meet her. In the meantime, he ordered that his sons be generous hosts and treat their guest with respect. They may have been raised in the sewers, but Splinter would not settle for anything less than good hospitality from his sons.

In the lab, Starfire sat atop Donnie's desk, her back exposed to the two scientists. Donnie examined her burn further and diagnosed her as free from infection for now. Her wound was still raw, so antibiotic cream was needed. April promised to pick up some from the drug store after school tomorrow. For now, all they could do was clean the burn with antiseptic and cover it with bandages so it would be protected from the germs of the underground.

To distract her, Mikey regaled Starfire with the story of how he and his family came to be, from when Hamato Yoshi became Splinter to Donnie catching April from the helicopter fall. Starfire listened intently, finding their story fascinating. Since many of her friends came to be Titans through unusual circumstances, Mikey's story was one that was almost nostalgic to her. It was reminiscent to she and her friends finding each other. Broken paths somehow transformed into new life for everyone.

Despite his hopeful tale, something still nagged at Starfire's conscious. After Mikey was finished, Starfire thanked him for sharing with her. However, she did have a favor to ask of him.

"Michelangelo, I must ask you not to tell me what happens to the Titans in the comics," she pleaded.

"Huh? How come?" he asked.

"I looked inside one and it described events that have happened. I fear that the comics will reveal the future of the Titans," she said quietly.

"Why wouldn't you want to know your future? Then you'd know what's coming," Mikey said optimistically.

"Because what if something bad happens? Then she'd be worried about that event until it came," Donnie explained as he stowed his medical supplies away. The bandages were finished and Donnie didn't want Mikey playing around with anything important.

"And even if she knows what's coming, she may have no idea how to stop it. Knowing will only make it worse, so it's better not to say anything," April added. While she spent countless hours thinking over how she could have avoided her father's capture, it was going to happen eventually. If it weren't for sheer luck that the turtles had seen the kidnapping, then she would still be a prisoner. Some things were better left unchanged.

Mikey nodded in comprehension and smiled at Starfire.

"Don't worry, my lips are completely sealed." He made a zipping motion over his mouth to prove his point. Starfire giggled with her hand touching her lips. The door to Donnie's lab opened to reveal Leo. He shared a look with Donnie and they both understood it was time.

"Master Splinter would like to meet you, Starfire," he said, gesturing behind him. Starfire's expression grew serious and she floated off the desk. She landed in front of Leo, who turned to lead the way for her. Following him into the living room, she was met with the sight of the grand master.

Splinter presence filled the room. He met his son's guest with an observant stare. Starfire walked to him and bowed before Splinter, showing her respect. She remembered that the Japanese custom was to bow to greet someone. Splinter raised an eyebrow, wondering how much this girl from another dimension knew about his culture. He bowed back to her.

"Welcome, young one. I am certain that my sons have already told you about me. And you should be happy to know that you are welcome to stay," he raised a hand to halt Mikey's victory cheer. "if you will answer one question."

"Of course." Starfire knew that earning his trust wouldn't be easy, especially because of the secrecy the family was forced to maintain at all costs.

"What are your intentions for my children?" he asked in a level tone. His gaze bore into her, making Starfire feel almost exposed. He was testing her willpower under his authority as well as drawing the truth from her.

Starfire paused, then spoke with strength behind her voice.

"My only intention is to return home. In regards to your children, I will do them no harm. I am grateful for the assistance they have offered me and I will return the favor in any way I can. If you require my help in battle, I will gladly fight alongside your family." Starfire knew full well what protectiveness over family felt like. You would do anything for them and she understood why Splinter was testing her so. She only hoped her answer was enough for him to allow his sons to risk their safety for her sake.

To everyone's relief, Splinter nodded.

"Very well. In that case, my sons and April will have to tidy up to make the lair more hospitable," he said, giving a pointed look to said children.

"_Hai, Sensei_," they responded in unison, grins lacing their faces. Leo sighed with relief. Raph shrugged nonchalantly. Donnie gave her thumbs up. April smiled hopefully. Mikey rushed to Starfire and gripped her shoulders.

"It's going to be awesome, just you wait! We can kick Kraang butt together and then celebrate with pizza afterwards!" he exclaimed, envisioning the daydream as he spoke. Starfire smiled, happy to be surrounded by caring people, or anthropomorphic turtles and rat, for the first time since she came to this dimension. Soon, everyone set to work with cleaning supplies and gave the lair a much-needed scrub down.

After the lair was deemed spotless, Splinter sent April home with Mikey, insisting she needed a decent night's sleep for school the next morning. April bid Starfire a good night before leaving, promising to come back see her soon.

With Mikey gone, the remaining brothers could finally approach Starfire about a possible plan before they all turned in for the night. The obvious solution was to send her back through a portal, but the real question was how to connect back to her dimension. They turned to Donnie, who was considering several options in his brilliant mind.

"Do you have any technology from your dimension with you?" he asked Starfire. She reached into her skirt pocket and presented her only device.

"I have my communicator, but it does not work properly here. Mostly." Donnie picked it up from her hand and observed it with keen eyes as Starfire continued. "I believe it is because there are no Titan communicators to connect with, but it does show a map of the city."

"It doesn't seem damaged in any way," Donnie noted. "Maybe I could use the signals your communicator would normally emit combined with a portal to connect to your dimension."

"How would that work?" Raph questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll be like making a phone call." Donnie produced a pencil and paper and drew a basic diagram as he went to provide a visual. "Electrical signals are sent from this phone to the receiving phone through a telephone network to make a wireless connection. We'll do that, but the communicator will be the signal we give off and the portal will be the network that connects us to her dimension. All I'd have to do is make the communicator compatible with the portal's interface and redirect the energy to the portal in her world. The connection will be made and she can pass through the dimensions no problem."

"How soon do you think you can figure out how to rewire the communicator and the portal?" Leo asked.

"Within a few days. I can use the technology in Metalhead to tweak the communicator easily, but I'll need to run a few tests to make sure that it works properly before we break into TCRI," Donnie estimated. "Will you be okay with waiting that long?" Starfire could only float out of the sheer joy from the prospect of crossing dimensions.

"As long as it works, then I will be most glad to wait! Truly, thank you, Donatello!" She wrapped her arms around Donnie's head, nearly squeezing the life out of him and earning a stern look from Raph.

"You're welcome," Donnie wheezed, losing oxygen fast.

"Uh, you might want to let him breath, Starfire," Leo asked politely. Starfire let out an 'oops' and released Donnie's face from near crushing by hugging.

"My apologies, Donatello," she said, attempting to stifle a yawn. She was beginning to feel the numbing effects of the antiseptic and spending her nights spying on the Kraang did not help keep her energy levels up.

"No worries," he responded while popping his jaw back into place. "I think it's time for all of us to go to sleep. It's been a long night and we'll need rest to prepare for breaking in."

"It is not only that. I require sunlight for a certain amount of energy and I have been mostly outside of my former hideout at night these past few days," Starfire explained. As generous her residence in the lair was, she hoped to at least have some time in sunlight to recharge.

"Before training, I'll wake you up around sunrise so you can get your sunshine, but that's the only time Splinter will allow us out. We'll have to be careful not to be seen by early birds," Leo offered, leading Starfire to the pit by the arm.

"Thank you for your generosity," Starfire said, yawning again. Leo sat her down on the couch and turned to Raph.

"Can you get a clean blanket?"

"No problem, fearless," Raph replied casually, heading off to look for one.

"Donnie, turn down the lights and tell Mikey not to wake Starfire up when he gets back," Leo asked his other brother. He heard Starfire shift below him.

"Already on it," Donnie said absentmindedly, staring at his phone screen while walking to the light switches.

Leo turned back to Starfire and his brow furrowed. Starfire was lying on her side already fast asleep, her chest rising and falling with each breath. He sighed, wondering far things were going to go with this girl. Mikey was already attached to her and he was going to have a hard time saying goodbye. Despite any complications she might cause, Leo was honor bound to help Starfire in her time of need. It's what heroes did and he wouldn't let her down.


	4. Kiss the Cook

Starfire slept more peacefully that night than she had in some time. Her dreams were filled with blissful memories of home. As promised, Leo woke her up so she could see sunlight. She blinked wearily, taking a few moments to remember where she was. After rubbing her eyes, she declared herself ready and Leo led the way. He took her to an apartment complex by a playground, knowing that the residents with younger children would sleep in later than most New Yorkers.

They made casual conversation on the way there, but the sunrise left Leo speechless. The closest he had ever seen was one or two late night patrols that dragged on due to some major delay. The breaking of the orange glow over the horizon drove his thoughts away. His eyes absorbed the beauty of the city basked in gentle light.

Starfire closed her eyes contently, relishing the warmth of the sunlight on her skin. She could feel her spirit lifting from the fatigue her ordeal left her with.

"Hey, Starfire?" Leo began.

"Hmm?" Starfire turned to the blue-banded turtle.

"Thanks for bringing me up here. I need to show my brothers this sometime," he thanked her. His gentle smile comforted her, reminding her that this family wasn't only helping her to leave the city as soon as possible. They genuinely cared about what happened to her and were willing to reach out to her. Perhaps, to thank them, she could bring some light into their lives. She didn't know how yet, but the sunrise was a great thank you gift to them. If she kept it up, then maybe she could repay them for being so kind to her.

"Please do. The sunrise is a wonderful way to begin the day. And I am certain that your brothers will enjoy it as well," she said, returning his smile. They could only stay a little while longer, so the two of them enjoyed the sunrise in all its glory.

Ducking under the cover of the sewer, they walked back to the lair in contemplative silence. They were greeted with the smell of omelets coming from the kitchen. Mikey was cooking eggs while humming a tune. Raph was only now emerging from his room. Donnie practically dragged his feet across the kitchen to serve himself coffee. Splinter sat at the table, sipping away at his tea.

Leo and Starfire joined everyone for breakfast. While Starfire wolfed down the delicious food as politely as she could, Mikey asked endless questions about her.

"So what other powers do you have besides super strength, flying, and blasting stuff?"

"Mikey, that alone is pretty impressive in itself," Donnie remarked. "In fact, maybe I should run some tests to study your powers. With your energy, there are all kinds of possibilities."

As Donnie babbled, Raph noticed Starfire's grip on her fork tightening. Her smile grew taut as well. Leave it to the brainiac to forget that the Kraang nearly experimented on her.

"Hey genius, she's here because we're helping her out, not so you can go science maniac on her," Raph cut off his brother. Glancing at Starfire, she gave him a thankful look. He shoveled omelet in his mouth in response. She went on to answer Mikey's question to avoid an awkward silence.

"Well, I can learn any language through lip contact," Starfire said.

"So, wait, if you kissed me, you'd learn Japanese?" Raph asked incredulously.

"I am already knowledgeable in Japanese, but if I did not, then yes, I would learn it from you," Starfire replied. Raph stared at her for a moment before Leo commented.

"What are you getting at, Raph?" he teased.

"N-nothing! Can we change the subject?" Raph flustered. He directed his attention down at his food, not enjoying where the conversation went.

"Ooo!" Mikey piped up. "Are you dating anyone right now? I bet I know who it is," he said in a singsong voice. Starfire blushed and nearly choked on her food before speaking.

"I am. . . indeed in a relationship with Robin," she confessed. Raph flinched, then wondered why on earth he would react that way. Luckily, Mikey's burst of excitement distracted everyone's attention away from him. The last thing he needed was his brother's misinterpreting anything and teasing him about it. Unbeknownst to him, his reaction did not go unnoticed by Splinter.

"Aww! How precious!" Mikey cooed.

"Really? He's a pretty lucky guy then," Leo grinned.

"What's it like dating the Boy Wonder?" Donnie asked, taking mental notes for reference.

"Well, he can be very serious and brooding at times. But under the surface, he is very caring and understanding. He takes the time to explain Earth's culture to me when I do not understand something and he makes me feel. . . at home," Starfire reminisced.

Her words soaked into the atmosphere, shifting the lighthearted mood into something heavier. Leo saw this as an opportunity to ask a question that had been nagging him for some time.

"So, I'm curious, how come you didn't freak out when you saw that we were turtles?" Leo asked. He knew she was an alien in her home dimension, but it was still unusual for him to not be screamed at when seen up close.

"Well, all of my friends are considered 'different' according to what earthen standards consider normal. You are all very similar in that sense. So to me, you are normal," she said. Everyone was left speechless. April was the only other person that made them feel like they belonged in a world inhabited by humans. But Starfire, a complete stranger from another world, simply saw them as someone she might meet in her everyday life.

"You are very wise to not have seen with your eyes. It is not often that my sons and I encounter someone with a heart as big as yours," Splinter spoke. "Perhaps, if your back would not be a hindrance, you would like to train with us this afternoon."

"It would be an honor. Thank you, Master Splinter," Starfire smiled. She was glad that the family was beginning to treat her as an equal and not as a houseguest. Maybe soon they would consider her a friend; as she was beginning to grow fond of the Hamato family.

For the rest of the meal, Mikey mostly asked for reenactments of her best battles. The family listened intently to every word, each secretly hoping they could see her in a real fight. For now, they would have to wait until training to see her in action.

* * *

><p>April came by after school with the promised antibiotic cream. She applied it to Starfire's burn and Donnie wrapped a new bandage on her back after the cream dried. Then, Starfire was ready for training.<p>

Before, she practiced her basic hand-to-hand combat in the abandoned apartment, but her back still throbbed at the time. Splinter paired the boys off to spar each other. The winner of both pairs would get to spar with Starfire. The only limitations were to not touch her back and Starfire wasn't allowed to fly or use her starbolts. How much of her strength she chose to use was fair game.

Splinter ran April through a kata on one side of the dojo, correcting and critiquing her movements as she went. Nearby, Starfire warmed herself up with punch and kick combos while the boys sparred.

Raph faced off against Donnie. He charged at his purple-banded brother, who dodged and knocked out Raph's legs with his bo staff. Raph face-planted into the carpet and growled. Spinning on his shell, he kicked back up onto his feet and threw his sai at Donnie's face. Donnie yelped and deflected it with his staff, only to be met with a punch to the gut. Raph grabbed his brother and shoved him into the ground. To finish him off, Raph planted his butt on Donnie's shell to make it all the more harder for him to get back up.

"Heh. Now how does it feel to eat carpet?" he mocked his incapacitated brother.

"It could use a little more flavor," Donnie gasped, losing breath under Raph's weight. In response, Raph patted Donnie's back and stood up, relishing his victory.

Meanwhile, Leo was doing about as well as Donnie. His form and strikes were perfect, but Mikey was dead set on facing Starfire. He was running circles around his older brother, trying to get him frustrated. Leo kept his cool, but even his patience was wearing thin under Mikey's antics.

"Come on, Leo. You almost had me there. Ooo, close one! Missed me again! Was that a breeze just now or were you actually swinging your swords at me?" Mikey taunted, constantly dodging Leo's attacks as he went. Leo scowled at his brother, wanting to be taken at least a little seriously in front of Starfire. He didn't want her first impression of his fighting to be outdone by Mikey's goofing around.

Leo tried to knock his brother down with a spinning kick, but Mikey saw it coming from a mile away. He threw his chain and it wrapped around his brother's ankle as he spun. Leo entangled himself and he fell ungracefully to the carpet. His limbs locked to his shell and his swords fell just out of reach. Leo groaned.

"All right! One turtle down, one more to- oof!" Before Mikey could celebrate, Raph tackled him from behind, sending them both sprawling across the floor. Raph clamped down on Mikey's hands and twisted them backwards. Mikey yelped.

"Ow, OW! Uncle! Uncle!" he cried. Raph released him with a smug grin. Mikey dejectedly pulled himself to the side of the dojo, where Donnie was just finished unraveling Leo from the chain.

"No fair, Raph! I wanted to go against Starfire," he grumbled and kneeled next to his brothers. Not wanting to miss the fight, April looked to Splinter. He nodded and she hurried to kneel next to Mikey.

"It's all fair game, Mikey. You'll get your chance. But for now, let's do this," Raph said, cracking his knuckles. Seeing that her opponent was ready, Starfire walked to the center of the dojo and faced Raph. She raised her fists in a ready stance. Raph reached for his sais, itching to use them, but Splinter thought otherwise.

"Raphael, no weapons. You will both use fists only as your weapon," he instructed.

"Huh? Fine, but I won't be going easy on you. Give me all that you've got," Raph challenged her.

"Very well. I will do my best to make this fight interesting for you," Starfire replied. She felt confident in her combat skills thanks to hours of sparring practice with Robin. Now was the time to test them.

"_Hajime_," Splinter commanded.

Raph leapt right into action. He barreled at Starfire and threw a punch. Starfire dodged and rolled to the side. He came at her with a flying kick, but Starfire gripped his ankle before he could make contact. Halting his attack, she tossed him over her head and darted after him. Rolling across the carpet, Raph kicked himself back on his feet and dodged Starfire's incoming punches.

Her fist connected with his palm. She threw her other fist, only to be blocked again. Raph dragged her hands down to bring her face to his level. He head-butted her and she flew backwards. Landing on her back left her momentarily disoriented, the audience audibly winced.

Starfire tried to jolt upwards, but was held down. Raph held her arms in place and his legs straddled her waist.

"Give up yet?" he teased.

"I do not think so," she declared. Twisting her wrist out of his grasp, Starfire threw her weight into his shoulder and flipped him over. As he fell backwards, Starfire crossed his arms behind him and clamped down on his wrists. Raph's arms were trapped behind him by his own weight. Starfire interlocked her legs with Raph's so they couldn't move either. Her face hovered above his, a cheeky smile mocking him.

"Do you give the up yet?"

Raph grunted and tried to headbutt her again, but she moved just out of reach. His forehead barely brushed hers. With her strength holding him down and no other moves he could use to escape, Raph had only one choice.

"Only this one time," he conceded. Starfire released her hold and disentangled her limbs from his. Their audience complimented Starfire on a job well done and she blushed at the attention.

"That was awesome, Starfire!"

"You've got some moves!"

"Way to hand Raph's shell to him."

"You're really good at what you do. Keep it up!"

Starfire rubbed the back of her head, then glanced at Raph. He brushed himself off, trying not to let his bruised pride get the best of him. He peeked at Starfire from the corner of his eye. Instead of rubbing her victory in his face like he expected, she surprised him.

"Thank you for sparring with me," she said, true humility lining her words. Raph's eyes traveled around the room for a moment before he could respond.

"It wasn't a big deal. Hope I didn't hurt your back too much," he sputtered. Starfire shook her head and insisted she was fine. Splinter congratulated them all on their improvement. Mikey practically demanded to have Starfire in the kitchen with him to make up for his lost spar. Everyone soon left the dojo to attend to his or her usual pre-dinner routine and Raph followed behind.

Before, Raph was hesitant about letting a stranger so close to his family. He was certainly less open than Mikey on getting to know her, but he had to admit that Starfire was beginning to grow on him. Her sweet demeanor was difficult to resist and her kick butt moves didn't hurt either. Still, he was cautious to allow her past his toughened exterior. In the meantime, he could at least enjoy dinner with his family.

* * *

><p>No one knew what to expect when Mikey practically dragged Starfire into the kitchen with him. Being an alien from another dimension was a very dangerous path if they wanted to keep their stomachs intact. Leo made a point of ordering pizza "as a side dish" to the meal that their cooks were concocting. April and Raph went to go meet the pizza delivery boy at their usual drop-off spot. Donnie retreated to his lab to continue plans on hacking the portal. Leo claimed his spot in front of the television set to rewatch Space Heroes. It was the episode featuring Lieutenant Virtue and Queen Millennia's epic battle against the fire-dragonfly creatures of the Omashu caverns.<p>

In the kitchen, Mikey was trying to gauge what Starfire wanted to eat. She was trying to be a polite guest and accepted whatever options Mikey tossed her way, but he wanted to make this meal especially for her. Among all of the condiment choices they were currently stocked on, she practically grabbed at the mustard. He offered her a straw and she began sipping away.

"How about a classic? We used to have worms and algae cake all the time. It'll be a throwback to the old days while also sprinkling it with the new. We'll frost and fill the cake with mustard! How about that?" Mikey suggested.

"Oh! That sounds intriguing. While I have not tasted Earthen worms before, I imagine they are similar to yakpal shortly after hatching," Starfire guessed. A quiet gagging sound could be heard from the living room.

"All right! We've got ourselves a dinner! I'll get what we need from the shelves and ask April if she can buy more mustard while she's out. You mind grabbing the bucket of worms from the back of the freezer?" Mikey sent out a quick text to April and began digging through the cupboards.

"I do not mind in the least," Starfire replied. She opened the freezer door. It was well stocked with large pieces of cheese on popsicle sticks. She reached past the treats she assumed was for Master Splinter and located the plastic bucket tucked away in the back corner. Glancing inside, she saw that it was filled nearly to the brim with frozen worms.

"Go ahead and put them in the oven. Only for a little bit though, otherwise we'll have a big mess to clean up," Mikey instructed her. After warming up the worms, they used their hands to mold and shape the mounds of algae into sizeable main structures. April and Raph came back some time later, laughing over some joke between the two of them, with the largest bottle of mustard the store had to offer as well as several boxes of pizza. They retreated into the living room at the sight of the worms that were beginning to wriggle around.

The duo continued to work at frosting the cake using generous amounts of mustard. Mikey regaled Starfire with stories about their childhood, mainly ones involving Raph embarrassing himself. The only reason he didn't come into the kitchen to pound Mikey was to avoid looking Starfire in the face now that she knew details about himself that he'd rather not discuss.

"And that's why Raph is scared of roaches," Mikey laughed.

"There is no shame having a phobia of something seemingly insignificant. I do not enjoy spiders in particular because I was almost eaten by a creature similar to a spider," Starfire recalled.

"If you stay long enough, Dr. Prankenstein might use that against you," Mikey warned her.

"Dr. Prankenstein? Is he another enemy of yours?" she asked innocently. She squirted mustard from the bottle onto a spoon.

"No, no. That's only one of my many alter egos," Mikey explained briefly. She flicked the spoon to set the mustard on the algae structure and he began spreading it with a rubber spatula.

"Yeah, along with underwear face, shell for brains, and sewer breath," Raph called out, seeing his chance for vengeance. Starfire giggled and Mikey only pouted for a moment. Then he remembered something important.

"Oh! I've been meaning to ask you why you thought I was Beast Boy?"

"Your voice is nearly identical to his. The slang you use is different, but your tone is cheerful and optimistic, like Beast Boy." It puzzled her as to why they were so similar in both their voices and mannerisms. However, it was comforting to hear the voice of at least one of her friends, even if it was coming from a different mouth.

"And Beast Boy's green, no matter what. So you thought I was him as a giant turtle?" Mikey asked.

"Yes. Donatello has informed me that turtles are normally not as large as you, with a few exceptions, so I found it unusual that Beast Boy could take on such a form."

"But you said that he couldn't talk when he's an animal. He can talk in the comics-" Mikey slapped a hand over his mouth, remembering he wasn't supposed to say anything about what he read. Luckily, what he said didn't upset Starfire, only intrigued her.

"I wonder why that is. Most Earthen animals are not capable of speaking human languages. It would be very difficult for him to speak English with the mouth of an animal," she wondered.

"Well, anything's possible. I mean look at us. You're a kick-butt alien princess that can probably throw the Byerly Building. I'm a turtle that was taught ninjutsu by a rat master. We're from different dimensions, but here we are in the same kitchen, making a cake together." He beamed at Starfire, simply happy that despite the uncertainties of both of their universes, they could at least enjoy time with new friends. He offered the rubber spatula to her and she accepted it.

"It is marvelous to see the wonders that the universe- or universes- can create. I am very fortunate to have met you and your family as well as my friends back home," she said. She began frosting the top of the final piece of the cake as she recalled how she came to become a Titan. "When I first arrived on Earth, I was lost and angry that I was so far from home. But the Titans found me and helped me to fight off my captors so that they would not come back for me. They showed me kindness even though they knew very little about me."

Her hand slowed and eventually stopped frosting. Mikey held his breath, not wanting to interrupt her. He could hear the volume of the TV lowering, conversation hushing.

Starfire's gaze remained fixed, staring straight ahead. Her face slowly lost its calm composure. Tears began springing.

"If I had not met them, then. . ." She bit her lip, tears now flooding down her cheeks. Her emotions were her strength and they made her powerful, but she could not understand why they were impacting her so suddenly. Making a cake with Mikey was enjoyable to her. So why did she feel so upset at the very thought of home?

Mikey couldn't stand to watch his friend cry without doing anything. Gently, he tapped his hand on her shoulder. She barely turned herself towards him and he opened his arms to her. Immediately, she fell into him. He held her carefully, making sure not to touch her back. He leaned his cheek against her temple as she clung to him, shuddering with every sob. Tears splashed down the overhang of his plastron.

"It's okay. It's okay," he cooed. "You're here with us and we're going to get you home to your family soon enough. But no matter what, you're not alone, Starfire. Lots of people, and mutants, care about you."

"I kn-know that," she cried in shaky breaths. "B-but when I was h-home, I hid and h-hesitated in accepting h-help. And now. . . N-not that. . ." She couldn't get the rest out on her own. Mikey glanced at the kitchen entrance. April and his brothers were gathered quietly, peeking through the curtain. Even Donnie and Splinter were there, likely drawn out of his lab by the scent of fresh pizza. Mikey gave a small nod to them. Out of everyone, he was the most capable of drying Starfire's tears. Glancing sympathetically at the exhausted girl, they backed out without being noticed by her. Refocusing his attention, Mikey fully understood where her frustrations were coming from and he finished her sentence for her.

"We know you're happy to be _here_, but not this dimension. And accidents happen, but hey, things always turn out for the best even though it seems bad at the time. In the meantime, we've got your back. Everyone will still be there for you when you get home, but let us help you until then." He rubbed her upper back as he spoke, trying to steady her breathing. Her sobs slowly subsided and the only tears remaining were the trails wetting her cheeks.

"Feeling better, Star?" he asked, not wanting to let go before she was ready. After a moment, she leaned back and wiped at her eyes. A smile graced her lips and she nodded.

"Thank you, Michelangelo."

"Call me Mikey." While her English was by far more grammatically correct than his was at times, he felt that his nickname sounded better coming from her. It made her more part of the family. Splinter used their full names, but he was their father. Any new members, like April, used nicknames.

"Okay, Mikey," she giggled. Feeling the need to lighten the mood so that everyone else could come in for dinner, Mikey had one more task he needed to accomplish.

"Since we're pretty much done frosting, we have to perform the final ritual of cake making. Do you know what that means?" Starfire tapped her finger to her chin for a moment before it came to her.

"Licking the frosting from the bowl!" she exclaimed excitedly. "But we did not use a bowl." Mikey picked up the spoon and the mustard bottle that still had some condiment left.

"In this case, we don't need a bowl. So things might get a little messy!" Squirting some mustard onto the spoon, he gently flicked it in Starfire's direction. She blinked in surprise as it landed directly on her nose. Sharing a mischievous grin with Mikey, she picked up her own spoon and another bottle of mustard.

"This is not consuming the remaining frosting. This is a food fight!" she declared as she readied her ammo. Mikey allowed himself to be hit by the glob of mustard so they would be even. Now the fun would really begin.

"Only rule is there are no rules! Go!" Ducking behind the counter, Mikey fetched a few more utensils from a nearby drawer and loaded them before Starfire poked her head over the edge of the counter. Mikey flicked his utensils upward and her entire face was plastered. Dropping her weapons, she reached down and gripped his shell so he couldn't escape. One hand swiped across her face to gather the mustard into one giant mound and she slapped it smack in the middle of his face.

"I believe we are 'the even,'" she declared. She landed in front of him and placed her hands on her hips.

"I think so. But first. . ." Mikey hid his face from Starfire as he worked to shape the globs of mustard dripping down his face. He revealed his masterpiece to her with his arms spread in the air. She only stared in confusion.

"It a beard and a moustache," she stated.

"Yeah! It's funny cause it's made of food!" he explained. Starfire could only smile at his antics and dissolve into laughter.

Mikey smiled at her. She was happy again and he couldn't be more grateful. He was going to miss her when she had to leave, but having her here filled a hole in his heart as well. Ever since Leatherhead had gone through the Kraang portal, his small list of friends had gotten even smaller. But spending time with one of his heroes reminded him that he could have friends who wouldn't turn out to be allied with an enemy. He just had to be patient.

Before Raph complained about how cold the pizza would get, the mustard-covered duo quickly cleaned up their mess by licking the mustard off their own faces. They wiped off any excess that had fallen onto the counter and the floor. Mikey called everyone else in, saying that dinner was ready. Everyone did their best not to cringe when they tried a bite of the cake. April secretly only sampled the mustard frosting and praised the chefs for their hard work, but suggested it would be better if they had the pizza first so they wouldn't spoil their appetite. The boys practically leapt for joy at this and unanimously agreed.

Mikey and Starfire continued at the cake until hardly a crumb was left, much to everyone's relief. However, that didn't stop them from consuming four boxes of pizza between the two them.

Despite the questionability of the cake's taste, everyone had a wonderful time laughing and swapping stories with Starfire. They made her feel welcome and she truly felt at home. She could only hope that the Titans weren't too worried about her safety. But for now, this family was more than enough to bring her unbridled joy back.

* * *

><p>The Kraang droned instructions that even Cyborg was having a difficult time following. Its speech patterns were near torture to listen to for anywhere longer than a few minutes. The only consolation from having his eardrum burned through was being closer to fixing the portal.<p>

After a late-night interrogation from Beast Boy and Robin, they finally got the Kraang talking. The small brain cracked after Beast Boy morphed into a komodo dragon and Robin hinted that it would make a nice appetizer.

The following morning, after a brief recharge, Cyborg worked on the portal with the Kraang telling him how to fix every component. While the alliance was an uneasy one, the Kraang didn't want to be stuck in this dimension for the rest of its life. Only one arm remained on the robot suit and with Beast Boy guarding the only exit, there was no chance for the Kraang to escape anywhere else. Raven continued manning the scanner back in the ops room, waiting for any sign of Starfire.

Robin assisted Cyborg as best he could, but there was a fine line between helping and nagging.

"You made sure to rewire the circuits?"

"Yup."

"And what about the battery? Is it connected to the portal?"

"Uh huh."

Robin tapped his foot, racking his brain for any more details he might have overlooked.

"What about-"

"Robin, I've got it," Cyborg cut him off, looking up from his work to his leader. He paused, and then lowered his head. "I miss her too. We'll get her back."

"Sorry. I just can't help but worry. After the last time she went through a portal, who knows what she's seeing this time around," Robin said, his voice lowering.

Starfire being so far out of his reach terrified him more than almost anything. There was nothing he could do for her here except wait for her safe return. He hoped that whatever had troubled her didn't hinder her powers. The last thing she needed was negative emotions preventing her from being able to defend herself. Still, if anyone could survive in a hostile environment, it was Starfire. She adjusted to the distant planet they crashed landed on together and brought them both to safety.

Still, it was difficult for Robin to not be by her side. He would only sleep soundly once he could hold her in his arms again.


	5. Red Faced

_Author's Note: I must warn you that I know very little about liquid radiation. The idea here is that the metal container is resistant to the radiation, but not the floors. And let's just pretend radiation professionals come in to clean the mess up. Anyway, longer chapter, but lots of bonding time! Check out dglari on deviant art for a wonderful piece of art on the ending scene! _

* * *

><p><em>Starfire wandered through the halls of Titans Tower. The trickle of rain outside meant that everyone was likely to be indoors, but she could not find them. The hallways bent at odd angles and she did not recognize the placement the doors. Finally coming to the door of the main room, she heard voices trailing from the other side. <em>

_The doors opened automatically and there was the turtle family. Mikey and Raph turned and waved to greet her. In front of them were Leo and April sparring while Donnie typed away at his laptop. They too noticed Starfire and called for her. She began to float to them, but fell to the ground unexpectedly. Struggling to raise her head, flames sprung out of the air and began swirling around her. Gasping for air, she desperately stretched her hand towards the Hamato family. Frightened as they were, they did not move as they disappeared behind the wall of flames. Only their screams rose above the roar of the chaos._

_"No! Do not harm them!" Starfire cried, commanding the flames to stop. Rising to her feet, she felt someone press against her back. To her joyous surprise, Robin was there with her, trying to figure a way out of the fiery tornado. He took her hand reassuringly._

_"Come on. We have to get out of here," he said. Before she could bring them both to safety, the floor collapsed beneath them. They fell through the darkness. Robin's hand was ripped from hers. _

_"Robin! Where are you?" she wailed. _

_"Starfire, fly! Save yourself!" he ordered._

_"I will not leave you!" _

_Suddenly, she was slammed onto a cold surface. Her back throbbed at the impact and bright lights flashed overhead. Blinking at the sudden change in surroundings, she looked around the room. She gasped in horror and trembling hands shot up to cover her mouth. The Titans were strewn across several tables in pieces. Blood soaked their uniforms and dead eyes bore into her. _

_A familiar shadow fell across her tear-stricken face. Screaming, she tried to run, but her muscles refused to move. _

"Starfire!"

_The Psion's instrument rose above her struggling body and-_

"Starfire! Wake up! Wake up!"

Her eyes flew open. Blinking away the visions of her nightmare, she was met with Mikey's concerned face. He sat up on his knees in front of her on the couch while Leo knelt from above the pit. Raph stood next to her, looking ready to fight whatever frightened her. Donnie leaned in, concerned, from behind Mikey.

"That was a pretty bad nightmare you were having," Raph said.

"A nightmare?" Starfire repeated.

"Yeah. It's a bad dream that normally occurs during rapid eye movement, or REM, as a reaction to-" Donnie began to explain.

"I don't think she meant 'what is a nightmare', Donnie," Leo interrupted. "It's okay. It was just a bad dream, but you're safe now."

"Yeah. We get nightmares all the time. One time I dreamed that a rooster, a penguin, and a squash were all- ow!" Raph smacked him on the back of the head and tilted his head towards Starfire. She tried to push away some of the more horrific images from her nightmare, but they lingered still. Rubbing at her eyes, the exhaustion weighed down on her thoughts, leaving her unable to think clearly.

"Do you want something to eat?" Leo offered. You, Donnie, and Raph can go out to get some sunlight since it's pretty early. Mikey and I can cook up some breakfast." Some fresh air would be good to clear her head and everyone was up anyway. Leo figured they should all continue on with the day instead of leaving her alone so they could get another hour or so of sleep.

Starfire looked up at Leo's gentle smile. She focused on him and the images began to fade. The boys were here and everyone else was alive. April was still safe at her apartment and the Titans were well out of the Psions grasp.

"I would like the breakfast, please," she requested shyly. At this, the boys went into motion. Mikey leapt up beside Leo and followed him into the kitchen. He walked backwards to address Starfire.

"I'm going to make you the best pizza omelet of your life!" he promised.

Raph nudged her shoulder gently.

"C'mon. Let's get you that sunshine so you can wake up," he said. She nodded and swung her legs off the couch. However, they were tangled in the blanket. She tried to take a step, but momentarily lost her balance and toppled forward into Raph's chest. He gripped her arms to prevent her from falling to the floor. Steadying herself against him, Starfire rested her hands on his biceps. Not realizing the rising level of discomfort from Raph, she leaned her side against his sturdy frame. Her hair brushed against his cheeks and fell into his plastron.

Raph seized up. He stared at her awkwardly, but she took no notice. Starfire looked down at her legs and maneuvered them out of the crumpled blanket, still holding onto Raph. After freeing herself, she turned back to Raph and smiled.

"Thank you for the assistance." A blush colored his cheeks and he averted his eyes, looking at anything but her.

"Yeah, no problem," he muttered, stepping away from her. Before he could make a break for it, she strode towards the turnstiles, ready to bask in the glorious sunrise. Raph glanced at Donnie, who had an expression that made Raph want to punch his face in and leave him with another tooth gap.

"Your mask isn't the only thing that's red, Raph," he commented.

"Shut up!" he snarled as he stalked past his brother. Donnie continued to wear his smug grin, realizing he now had ammo that Raph had used against him since they met April.

"Guess we both have a thing for redheads," he muttered under his breath, following a safe distance behind his red-faced brother.

* * *

><p>It didn't take Starfine long to notice that Raph was refusing to look at her in the eye. While on the rooftops, she asked if he got enough sleep. He only responded with a mutter of 'yeah', staring straight ahead at the beautiful, warming glow of the sun. Thinking it was odd, she attempted conversation with him several times, but he only brushed her off each time. Donnie took notice also, but did not say anything on it. He asked her about her home planet's culture to ease her worries, but the question still lingered in the back of her mind.<p>

After breakfast, she felt reenergized and ready to make the most of the day. But training was not until later. So Mikey decided to teach Starfire how to breakdance to pass the time.

He set up his stereo and a large piece of cardboard by the pool. Turning on the beat, he started with the basics.

"So this is the starting move that gets you into the groove," he instructed. "You have to be light on your feet, which shouldn't be hard for you, and bounce up and down a little." Mikey crossed one foot in front of the other, hopped to bring his legs back together, and did the same with the other foot. Starfire followed his lead and she 'felt the beat', as he would put it.

"Yeah! Like that!" he encouraged her. "Now this part is a little tricky. You have to keep your hand in the same spot when you come down to the ground and swing your legs around it." Starfire stepped off the cardboard as he demonstrated the groundwork. He hopped up and offered the space to her. It took a few moments to get the momentum down, but she grasped at the motion and performed it smoothly for a beginner.

"Radical! Now time to finish it up with one awesome move! Swing your legs real high in the air and jump back up on your feet!"

"Do you wish to. . .?" Starfire began, slowing down her motion.

"No, no! Keep going! You can do it! Just think of any music videos you've seen and you'll get it," Mikey insisted. Starfire did as he asked and went faster. She rotated around her arms and elevated her legs into the air. However, when she attempted to push herself off with ground without flying, her ankle got caught behind her wrist. She lurched forward towards the pit and landed rather ungracefully with an 'oof'. Mikey winced and rushed to her side.

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea. Are you okay?" Starfire sat up and rubbed her face to rid of whatever dirt particles lingered on the floor.

"I am fine. I was lucky enough to not land on my back," she said, referencing her spar the other day. While her back did not hurt any less after that, she preferred to leave it untouched.

"The last thing we want is to have that wound open up. You want another go at that move?"

"I was doing well. I believe I will-" Her eyes caught sight of something crawling atop the couch cushions. She squinted at it.

"Is that a turtle?" she asked.

"Yeah. That's Spike. He's Raph's pet," he explained. Starfire leaned forward to get a better look. Spike did not shift his gaze, but he did seem relaxed on his pillow. Starfire reached a finger and began rubbing the top of his shell gently, which sent Mikey into a mild panicked state.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned her. "Raph doesn't really like anyone touching-"

"_Hey!_"

The red-banded turtle rushed over and scooped up Spike in his hands. Checking him over, he decided that his beloved pet was unharmed. He turned his frustration back at Starfire.

"She didn't know about Spike. I was just telling her not to touch him," Mikey interjected.

"Well you should have said something faster!" Starfire stood up and held out her hands apologetically.

"I am sorry for petting Spike. I did not realize that you were sensitive about others handling him."

"I'm not sensitive!" he balked. "Look who's talking." His frustrations over her being able to read him so well bubbled over. He hated feeling so exposed around her and that she had the audacity to act like she owned the place. At his last statement, Starfire's expression hardened.

"And what do you mean by that?" Raph saw her change in tone as a threat and he reacted in the only way he could think of: he fought back.

"I mean that since you got here, you've done nothing but show off and get upset over every little thing like a girl." He held his confrontational stance, but nearly cowered under her glare. He had seen her wrath against the Kraang, but didn't realize what it was like to be on the receiving end of her anger until that moment. Spike's head retreated into his shell.

"Really bad move, bro," Mikey commented from behind Starfire. He knew his brother was being abrasive, but Starfire could handle it and throw it right back at him.

"I am not ashamed to show my emotions. They are my strength and suppressing them does nothing but hinder me both in and out of the battlefield. And being a _girl _does not determine how strong I am. Tamaranians are a proud race of warriors. April is a girl and she possesses great strength that surpasses most humans." She refused to be pushed around by a boy who would insult her for being homesick.

"Fine. You're pretty strong, but you're still missing the point," he tried to rebuttal. His arguing skills weren't sophisticated, but he refused to lose one.

"What point are you trying to make? You were hospitable and helpful yesterday, but since this morning you have acted rude and grumpy. What did I do to offend you?" She waved her arms, exasperated.

Raph stammered. He barely understood what she was doing to him. How was he supposed to explain it to her?

"N-nothing," he said weakly.

"It is not nothing!" she cried. " I am trying my best to adjust to your world and it frustrates me when something is not explained to me. You yelling at me for something I did not know about does not make it better." Her expression softened, but she was still hurt that he would pick a fight with her.

Guilt washed over Raph. Only then he realized how unfair he was being to her. They were both adjusting to the new situation and her living with them made him forget how much she had to learn about the family. He enjoyed her company and she was a great sparring partner, but he needed to grow more comfortable around her before she was allowed any special Spike-holding privileges.

"Look," he sighed. "I'm just trying to adjust to having you here and not even my brothers get to touch Spike. I just sort of snapped. Anyway, no offense, but you're going to need more time to be a part of this family. Then you'll get the honor of me punching you when I get mad. After that, it'll be fair game and you can hit me back," Raph suggested. He expressed himself through his actions, so he hoped that Starfire would understand that at least.

She relaxed and the tension left her, much to Raph and Mikey's relief.

"That sounds fair," she smiled. "But do not tempt me again, or I will having a much more difficult time forgiving you." Raph grinned. His anger may have gotten ahold of him again, but at least this time he was able to work his way out of a sticky situation without using his fists. He wouldn't have minded a good fight to work his muscles though.

Mikey popped up between them now that the tension had cleared without requiring his assistance.

"Look at us, having bonding time. To commemorate this moment, let's have an arm wrestling contest!" he declared, drawing the two closer by wrapping his arms around their shoulders. Starfire was tall enough to force him on the tips of his toes.

"Are you crazy, Mikey?" Raph asked. "Well, it is you I'm talking about. . . But she can chuck a car with her bare hands."

"Does that mean you give up?" Mikey suggested, nonexistent eyebrow raised. Raph accepted his challenge.

"Heck no! Come on, Starfire." He took a hold on her arm and pulled her after him into the kitchen.

"Are you quite certain? I do not wish to injure you."

"Just don't go easy on me," he replied. Mikey giggled out of the sheer excitement of someone finally beating Raph at his own game.

Mikey's laughter turned into screams of terror when Starfire beat Raph without breaking so much as a sweat and Raph chased after him for having bad ideas.

* * *

><p>Donatello ran a mental checklist of everything they would need for patrol. The tires were fully inflated, the garbage cannon stocked up, and Mikey's pizza slice from last week scraped off the back of the computer monitor. He shut down his laptop and stood up from his chair. Then, a buzz sounded from his belt.<p>

Picking up his T-Phone, Donnie saw that he received a text from April.

**Hey Donnie! U able to come over l8er?**

Donnie flinched. They were going to leave any second and he loathed the rare times he had to decline April's offers to hang out. However, his fast-thinking brain calculated a possible solution.

**I can come over after patrol, but if you want company, I can send Starfire over.**

Starfire would probably be bored around the lair with only Sensei for company. He was certainly hospitable, but a teenage girl would have a better chance of relating to the female Titan.

**If she wants 2 then send her over! : ) My aunt's away right now, so I can hang out with her until u guys get back. **

Happy with the results, all Donnie needed to do was ask Starfire what she wanted to do. He strode into the common area of the lair. Only his brothers were there, waiting by the turnstiles.

"Are you ready to head out?" Leo asked.

"Almost. Mikey, where's Starfire?"

"She went to the dojo to practice her combat some more," he answered.

"Thanks. I'll meet you guys at the Shellraiser in a minute," he called out as he walked away. Raph's groan could be heard behind him.

"Hurry up, man! I wanna see some action tonight."

"Don't bite off more than you can chew, Raph," Leo reminded his brother.

"I'll bite whatever I want to bite!" Raph snarked.

Donnie came to the open door of the dojo and peeked inside. Starfire was indeed focused on her hand-to-hand skills. Each punch was quick and precise, her spinning kick a weapon of its own. Stepping inside, Donnie spoke up to briefly interrupt her routine.

"Hey, Starfire? Can I ask you a favor?" She turned, mildly surprised, but pleased to see him.

"Certainly." Starfire knew that the turtles were considerate of her and she was grateful for all that they had done for her so far. A favor was the least she could do to repay them.

"So, the guys and I are going on patrol soon. April wanted me to stop by, but I can't until later. Can you keep her company until then? The Kraang are after her and I know she can take care of herself, but that doesn't stop me from worrying. And with you around, I know she'll be safe," he explained.

"I believe I am capable of providing her with the company," Starfire smiled. She knew what it meant to worry over a friend, so she was happy to relieve Donnie of this worry. Besides, she secretly wanted time outside of the lair for more than the sunrise.

"Thank you. But don't tell April that last reason. I don't want her to be offended and think I don't think she's strong," Donnie said.

"Does Master Splinter know I will be with April?" Starfire asked.

"I know now," a voice spoke up. The two jumped slightly, not realizing Splinter's presence. He had finished his meditation session and entered the dojo from his room, approaching the teens.

"Is it alright, Sensei? She'll only be out for a bit and with April. If any Kraang show up, April has our number and can call us in," Donnie reasoned, stepping slightly in front of Starfire.

"You may."

"Wait, really?" Donnie excitedly asked. He had expected some resistance from his _sensei_, which was reasonable seeing as he wanted to take precautions with their guest. Starfire was surprised as well. From what little she knew of him, she had concluded that he was a stern father to have raised his adoptive children as trained warriors. But from how wonderful they were, she had also speculated that he was kind at heart.

"Yes." Glancing at Starfire, he continued. "I believe that it will do you some good to spend time with someone who is a little more grounded than my sons are at times. Besides, both you and April could use some female company."

Starfire smiled and bowed respectively to Master Splinter.

"Thank you. I will come back with your sons when they are finished with patrol."

"Come on. I'll show you a map of the city so you know how to get to April's." Donnie gestured for her to follow him to his lab and walked out of the dojo. She followed behind him, but stopped to turn back. Splinter stood by the tree. He gave her a warm smile and nodded approvingly. He trusted her to return to the lair by her own choice and Starfire was thankful for this opportunity. Her smile widened and she floated out of the dojo.

Splinter could only shake his head.

"My sons get far too attached to the guests they bring home," he said. While Starfire was welcome in his home, he could only wonder what her impact would be on his five children.

* * *

><p>"So, let me get this straight: you've fought a puppet that controlled your friend's souls, a lady who's practically made of rubber, and an inter-dimensional demon? Mikey texted me about it, but his spelling isn't the greatest," April questioned. While she figured out Donnie's motivations for sending Starfire rather quickly, the boys' newest houseguest intrigued her. She hadn't had a chance to talk with her one-on-one since she helped bandage her back.<p>

"That is correct," Starfire said.

"Huh. And I thought the things that the guys fought were weird."

"They can be most strange, but fighting them on a regular basis has become normal to me," Starfire figured.

"You're telling me. My best friends are talking turtles that fight brains in robot suits and giant mutated creatures. Normal hasn't been my thing for a while now," April said. At this, she leaned back on the roof and looked up at the sky. The memory of Starfire passing over them came back to her. Looking at her now, she seemed more content with her company and her legs swinging over the edge of the building. Starfire was undoubtedly safer now that April and the boys had found her, but April couldn't shake the feeling that she was still hiding. It would take more than a few days for Starfire to open up to the Hamato family, but she needed to know she could trust them.

"So from what you've seen so far, is this Earth any different from your Earth?" April asked. She was genuinely curious about the dimension Starfire was from if she battled living puppets on a regular basis. Starfire thought about her experience in the city for a moment.

"The customs are the same, so in a way yes. Perhaps it is because of the city, but there is a very different atmosphere here. Every person is 'out for themselves,'" she concluded. She looked at April, hoping her assumption was correct.

"That's New York for you. It makes you independent, but it's hard when you don't have anyone to depend on," she confessed.

"Would that not get lonely after some time? It always seems that humans are trying to make their way in the world by leaving their families behind," Starfire noted. She asked Robin about this idea before. He explained that being an adult meant you had to live on your own because parents weren't always willing to support their kids into adulthood. Even when they got a job to support themselves financially, staying at home wasn't an acceptable path to take in many countries.

"Sometimes your family leaves you behind, so there's really no other way," April mumbled glumly. Starfire connected the pieces about why she was staying with her aunt instead of her mother.

"Forgive me if I am prying, but I presume your mother is. . . not around?" she asked gently. April took a deep breath before answering the question.

"One day I woke up and. . . I didn't have a mom anymore. Dad never told me what happened to her and I haven't had the chance to ask lately. So. . . I really don't know," she resigned. She lifted her legs from the edge and wrapped her arms around them. She rarely cried anymore at the thought of her mom, but the pain never really went away. It was a dull throb that still ached. She lifted her head when Starfire's arm wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her close. Expecting the look of sympathy she had grown to despise, April was confused by the distant look that Starfire had on her face. It mirrored April's.

"My parents have also passed on. I did not get the chance to say goodbye and I received the news while I was on Earth." April leaned in closer to Starfire. She knew she could be jaded and cynical at times, but she would have never guessed that such a cheerful girl would have gone through such trauma. And possibly much worse.

"What got you through it?" She wanted to know the secret behind Starfire's smile and warmth. How was it that she still embraced her enthusiasm for life as openly as she did?

"My friends. They became my new family, so I am never truly alone, even if it is difficult to remember that in some moments." Starfire's smile returned and her eyes lit up. "And what of you?"

"It's mainly been the guys. My aunt tries really hard and I can't thank her enough, but I can't tell her what actually happened. Same with everyone at school. I felt completely alone and lost. But the guys. . . they've helped me so much. They're always there for me when a rough day at school puts me in a bad mood or I feel like I'm not improving in my training or when I get captured by some goons. And Splinter. . . he's been the father figure that I needed when my Dad was taken from me."

April took a breath to steady herself. Instead, Starfire did that for her. The Tamaranian wrapped both her arms around April and pulled her close. April clung to Starfire and pressed her forehead against her shoulder, embracing the warmth the older girl had to offer. Starfire rubbed April's back as she held back tears nearly shed out of compassion for her friend.

"I can see that they all care for you deeply. I am certain that they will find your father," Starfire reassured her. April nodded and released the breath she was holding and relaxed her shoulders.

"Thanks. And we'll help get you back home," she promised Starfire. April knew how hard it was for her to be so far away from home. The least she could do was return the kindness that she was being given. Leaning back to look Starfire in the eyes, April smiled. They had shared something special and April was grateful for that. She had some of the worst luck in the world when it came to what life threw at her, but she had the privilege of meeting some of the best souls, even though most of them weren't human.

"Would you like to consume the junk food? That is what friend Beast Boy does when he is upset. He says snacking takes his mind off of things." Starfire suggested.

"Actually, there's something else I'd like to try," April said. She was hesitant about asking before, since Splinter almost always confined Starfire to the lair, but now that they were here alone, it was the perfect opportunity.

* * *

><p>"Mikey, careful around that vat of mutagen!" Leo warned his brother, who was currently balancing on a catwalk railing. The orange-banded turtle was easily taking out Kraang after Kraang with his nunchuks. However, the combined weight of the turtle and increasing number of robots was causing the platform to shudder with every step.<p>

"Trying to, bro!" Mikey called back. "These guys won't stop weighing this thing down." Many of the Kraang were rising up the steps to the catwalk to get a vantage point on the turtles. Leo realized many of the Kraang on the floor level were directly below the catwalk and he formulated a plan.

"Mikey, cut the wires holding the platforms and get up high. Donnie, Raph! Follow my lead!" His brothers were fighting another group of Kraang on the other side of the warehouse by a large metal storage container. They ducked behind boxes stacked against the wall and turned to watch their leader.

Leo leaped into action. With a few sweeps of his swords, he took out Kraang that fired from near the mutagen vat. Dodging lasers, he ran under the catwalk as the remaining group followed him. Suddenly, the platform above began shaking violently. The remaining wires that Mikey hadn't cut with his kusarigama snapped from the tension and the platform fell square on the Kraang. Leo, who stood on the other side of the fallen platform, called out to Mikey.

"Good work, Mikey! Now cover Raph and Donnie too!"

"On it!" Perched on pipes lacing the ceiling, Mikey clambered across to where his brothers were repeating Leo's tactic. They ran circles around the Kraang and drove them like cattle into a condensed group.

Mikey followed his brothers' movements and took out the wires as they went along. A laser unexpectedly fired past his head. Mikey turned to see a lone Kraang aiming a laser gun at him from the end of the platform. Rushing at the Kraang, Mikey tossed the chain of his nunchuk. The robotic arms were locked to its body, still gripping its weapon. Before the Kraang could struggle, Mikey struck it with a swinging kick to the side, sending the enemy flying off the rickety catwalk. The Kraang spun through the air as Mikey's chain unraveled itself. Disoriented, the brain continued to fire the weapon sporatically, lasers spraying through the air.

After Mikey dispatched the last of the Kraang with one last fallen platform, Donnie observed the falling Kraang. His forehead wrinkled when a laser blast struck the facet of a container that was mounted to the upper wall. The desperate brain attempted to leap from its robotic body. However, its efforts were in vain as the suit crashed to the floor, but the brain fell with a _plop_ into the open vat of mutagen. A trickling sound drew Donnie's gaze upwards and his eyes widened in horror. The broken facet was leaking. The substance within the container flowed down into the mutagen vat. From a distance, Donnie could make out large warning labels on the container.

"Oh no."

By now, the rest of the ninja clan had noticed the chemical reaction. The mixed solution began frothing, nearly overflowing the open top.

"Uh, Donnie? What's happening to the mutagen?" Leo asked, his voice strained. The mutagen alone was hazardous enough, but anything mixed in with it could be catastrophic. They might have disposed of the Kraang from this facility, but leaving the chemicals, and whatever creature the Kraang mutated into, in the open would be beyond dangerous for the innocent civilians of New York.

"It's reacting to the radiation that fell in." Donnie briefly explained.

"Radiation? Wouldn't that make the mutagen more reactive?" Raph speculated. He was no scientific genius, but even he knew that liquid radiation was never a good thing.

Donnie opened his mouth, but was interrupted by a screeching sound. An enlarged tentacle flopped over the edge of the container. More followed and a glowing body pulled itself out of the mutagen and tumbled to the floor. The guys backed away quickly to avoid getting hit with the splatter of chemicals. They gasped in horror.

The Kraang had grown to a size larger than Dogpound. Its face drooped as if it would melt off any second. The main body glowed the eerie mutagen green. The tentacles whipped about and secreted the frothing chemical mixture. Its piercing eyes traveled about until it spotted the turtles. A sound similar to chalk scraping on a blackboard emitted from its mouth. It lunged for the boys.

"Move!" Leo ordered. He and his brothers wasted no time in evading its tentacles. Despite its lack of legs, the Kraang was able to skid across the floor after them by sliding along the secreted chemicals. The floor began deteriorating under the radiation. The nearest doorway was that of the metal containment unit.

"Everyone, get through that door! I'll distract it!" Leo threw his arm backward and released a smoke bomb in the monster's eyes. It squealed and withdrew its tentacles momentarily. Mikey raced through the enlarged door first, followed by Donnie, then Raph. The red-banded turtle slammed the door shut and locked it as soon as Leo came through. Not a moment later, the Kraang's body slammed into the wall, causing it to shudder.

"Donnie, how long will that hold?" Leo inquired.

"The container should hold for a while since its made of a resistant metal, but there's no way out of here."

He was right. They were trapped in the container with no other exit. The only way to leave was past the radioactive Kraang on the other side of the door.

"What now, Leo? How are we supposed to get out of this one without getting burnt alive by that Kraang?" Raph demanded.

Leo wracked his brain for ideas. They couldn't get out of this on their own, but maybe they could bring in backup. He pulled out his T-Phone and speed dialed April's number.

"You sent Starfire to April's place, right?" Leo asked Donnie. His brother practically recoiled at what Leo was suggesting.

"Yes, but there is no way we are bringing April into this one," he said, jabbing a finger in Leo's direction.

"We don't have much of a choice. Come on, cell phone signal," Leo pleaded, holding his phone in the air to get the signal through.

* * *

><p>April learned some time ago how to jump across the gaps between rooftops. She grew to love that peak moment of flight, but this was entirely new to her. To soar through the sky with no boundaries was liberating, but admittedly still scary. While she trusted Starfire to not let go of her, April preferred to be held in someone's arms, not by the ends of their arms.<p>

Despite the paranoia, April relished the feeling of the wind brushing her face and the sight of the city from this high up. As a kid, she often imagined herself as one of her favorite toys, Petunia the Destroyer. She was a fairy that didn't add up to much on the show she was from, but as a toy, she could be anything that April put her mind to. Needless to say, soaring the sky while taking down bad guys with a sweep of the wand was the main scenario April reenacted. And now she was living out at least part of that fantasy.

"Where would you like to go next?" Starfire asked. She still had trouble navigating her way around the city, so she sincerely hoped that April knew where they were.

"Just keep veering left so we don't go too deep into the city. I don't want to fly by skyscraper windows." The last thing they needed was people searching the sky for a duo of redheaded girls or a clan of ninjas.

"I thought that the look of shock we would receive would be entertaining to you," Starfire giggled.

"Well, it would be really funny, but- hang on." A familiar ringtone sounded from her back pocket. "Can you land for a minute?"

"Certainly." Starfire dipped slowly and set April gently on a nearby rooftop. The young girl picked up her phone and glanced at the caller ID.

"Hey, Leo," April answered, still giddy from the flight.

"Hey April. I'd love to chat, but we're in a jam right now," he said. His voice was laced with static.

"What's going on?" April's mood shifted. If the guys were calling her when they never allowed her into fights, then their situation was bad.

"Long story short, a Kraang got mutated and it's huge and radioactive. We're trapped in a metal room, so we need Starfire to distract it so we can get out," Leo explained quickly.

"Radiation?" Starfire repeated. The volume was loud enough for her to follow the conversation. "Radiation cannot harm me. I can fight it."

"Good, because we also need a way to trap this thing so it doesn't run around New York." A crash sounded and panic began rising in Leo's voice. "We're at the warehouse on the corner of Paulsen Road and Cipes Avenue. Hurry!"

"Leo, the floor's starting to melt!" Donnie yelled in the background.

"The Kraangium is gonna eat our brains!" Mikey cried dramatically. A smacking sound could be heard along with an 'ow'. The connection cut off and the girls looked at each other.

"We have to get there now. Let's fly," April said determinedly. Starfire immediately took a hold of April's arms and they took off into the night. The wind whipped past them and April focused on her surroundings, trying to figure out where they were and the fastest route to get to the boys.

"Which way?"

"Make a sharp right here and go straight for a couple blocks. Now head towards that billboard with the turkey wearing a tophat."

Something caught Starfire's attention up ahead.

"Is that the building?" She was referring to an industrial warehouse where a green light seemed to be shining through the windows. April's eyes widened.

"Oh no. Leo wasn't kidding around. Land on that dumpster in the alley." Following directions, Starfire sped to said location, but halted and landed quietly. She and April poked her heads up to peek through the window. An enormous Kraang was thrashing wildly at a metal wall. Its banshee-like screeches nearly shattered April's eardrums. Cringing, she covered her ears and looked around the warehouse. The chemicals around the door were growing into a large pool. Even the guys probably couldn't make that leapt. She noticed a forklift that hadn't been damaged by the monster below the window. An idea sprung into April's head and she turned to Starfire.

"Here's the plan. You swoop and fire some starbolts at it. Lead it to that end of the warehouse. I'm going to drive that forklift over to the guys so they can cross that moat of mutagen. Then once they get out, we can figure out how to trap it." April had never actually driven a forklift, but she could figure it out if it meant getting the guys to safety.

"I will do my best to keep it busy," Starfire promised. April grabbed Starfire's arm before she could head in.

"Wait! One more thing. You see that container with the glowy stuff?" Starfire observed it and made a confirming noise.

"Don't touch that. You might be able to resist the radiation on that Kraang, but that mutagen will do bad things to you. And try not to break the glass on that either. The last thing we want is it spilling and filling up the streets for a block."

"I understand. Now let us defeat this creature." April pushed the window open. Starfire flew in and held it open for April to crawl through. She ducked behind the nearby crates and nodded to Starfire.

Starfire flew next to the vat of mutagen and threw another cautious glance at it. She fired starbolts at the Kraang and it whirled around to face her.

"Leave them alone! Come and get me, you plorbnerb!" she insulted the creature. It wriggled its body across the floor and went after her instead. She drew it to the other end of the warehouse and dodged its thrashing tentacles as best as she could.

April hopped in the seat of the forklift, grateful that the keys were left in the ignition. She shifted the gear and pressed her foot down on the pedal. The machine jolted forward and she gripped the wheel. Directing the machine towards the pool of chemicals, she saw the metal door open. The guys recoiled at the vast amount of chemicals, but their faces lit up at the sight of April speeding a forklift directly at them.

"April! Awesome timing!" Mikey called out.

"Careful around the chemicals! It might splash up on you!" Donnie warned her.

"I've got this! I think," April said to herself. She drove the forklift into the pool. The chemicals began eating away at the tires and April was losing momentum and control.

"Come on! Go straight, you hunk of junk!" The forklift swerved momentarily, but April managed to crash the elevated forks directly into the doorway. She backed machine up towards one side of the warehouse so it wouldn't fill the frame of the large doorway. The boys leapt to the top of the forklift one by one. When Donnie was on the roof, he reached his hand to the driver's side.

"Thank you for the rescue, milady," he said.

"You're welcome," she laughed. She accepted his hand and he pulled her away from the chemicals that were starting to deteriorate the forklift itself. Lifting her into his arms, Donnie leaped towards the pile of crates where his brothers were watching Starfire fight the Kraangium. Using her starbolts and several well-placed punches, Starfire had struck away large chunks of the blob, as it was now truly beginning to fall apart.

"She's keeping it distracted, so let's all get out of here while we can," Donnie suggested.

"Not yet. We still need to beat that thing," Leo reminded them.

"And how do we do that? Starfire's the only one that can hit it," Raph said.

"Kraangium's not going to hold out much longer against her. He's going to pop at any second and it'll be really messy when he does," Mikey commented.

"Then we need to put him someplace where we can't get splashed when he does fall apart. Everyone, draw Kraangnium towards the storage unit we were hiding in. Once he's in there, then we can take him out for good," Leo ordered. He turned to April as the the guys took off.

"You've done your part. Get out through that window and wait for us outside," he said, pointing to said window directly behind them. April sighed.

"Fine, but be careful, Leo." He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned. They parted and April climbed through the open window to safety.

The boys surrounded Kraangium from all sides and he noticed. Removing himself from Starfire's assault, the mutated brain dove to one side, going after Raph. He was perched atop a platform and barely had time to dodge the oncoming tentacles. He tried running along the platform, but found he had nowhere to go, for the floor below him was coated in radiation. With Kraangium closing in on him, he raised his sai, ready to fight until the end.

Starfire dared not fire a starbolt, unless she wanted to risk burning her friends. Instead, she flew to Raph's aide. She managed to grip a tentacle that was going directly for him, but Kraangnium took the opportunity to grip her around the waist. He seized and pulled her out of the air with a cry. She was slammed into the wall, her back now throbbing in fresh pain. Another tentacle wrapped around her throat, squeezing the breath out of her.

"Leave her alone!" Raph snarled. He and Donnie rushed in from both sides and sliced the tentacles with their weapons. Starfire gasped for breath and coughed while Raph placed his hand on her shoulder. Donnie swept the remaining tentacles off the platform with his naginata. Before Kraangium could charge at them again, throwing stars struck his back. What was left of the Kraang turned to face Mikey and Leo.

"This way!"

"We've got some nice and tasty brain food over here!"

Their taunts infuriated the creature and he wriggled his mess of a body after them. Once they were clear, Donnie explained the plan to Starfire as she caught her breath.

"Starfire, we need to get that Kraang into the containment unit we were in earlier. Once he's there, fire a starbolt directly at his center and shut the door. He should deteriorate and fall apart from that kind of energy blast. Can you do that?" Raph helped her to stand and Donnie carefully pulled the makeshift bandage off her back by the corners. It was melting and the last thing Starfire needed was her wound taking longer than necessary to heal. She winced when he removed it, but held her composure. The skin was still pink as expected, but luckily none of her blisters reopened.

"Yes I can. Keep it disoriented so it will not grab me again," she said determinedly.

"Don't worry, we've got your back," Raph reassured before an awkward expression crossed his face. "I mean, we'll cover you. We won't. . . Oh forget it!" Starfire simply smiled, understanding what he meant. She flew to assist Mikey and Leo, who were running out of smoke bombs, and Raph and Donnie took off after her.

By now, most of Kraangium's tentacles had been sliced off. One of its eyes was blinded shut by the number of bombs thrown in its face. Raph ran past him to divert his attention while Donnie made a calculated aim for his remaining eye. The smoke bomb made contact and the creature wailed at the loss of its sight.

"Starfire, now!" Leo yelled.

On cue, Starfire rushed at the brain head on and gripped it with her glowing hands. She shoved it clear through the open door to the containment unit and sent it flying to the far end. Grasping the door handle, she aimed a lone starbolt at the remainder of the creature. He hissed once more before she fired. Shutting the door, an explosion boomed and silence followed. Kraangnium was no more.

Starfire released a sigh of relief and turned to the boys. They began exiting through the window, as the radiation now encompassed nearly the entirety of the floor. Leo motioned for her to follow and she gladly did so.

They gathered in the alley with April, who rushed to hug the boys.

"I'm so glad you're all okay! And you were amazing Starfire, the way you could fight that thing off with your bare hands," April complimented the Tamaranean. Starfire only blushed and turned her head.

"I fought for the sake of my friends. It is merely a part of my duty," she said, referring to her never-ending job as a superhero.

"You did more than that, Starfire," Leo spoke up. "You followed our plan perfectly without ever having fought alongside us in battle before."

"If you had fired starbolts at it, we would probably all have third degree burns, but you kept the risks in mind without underestimating us," Donnie pointed out.

"Not to mention you and April got here in record time to save our shells. Your our hero, Starfire," Mikey gushed as he threw an arm around April affectionately. Everyone waited for Raph's turn to say something. He crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders.

"The way you beat the snot out of that overgrown brain was. . . awesome. What else can I say?" he said, attempting to be nonchalant.

Starfire's heart swelled. She had fought tooth and nail to get her friends out of harms way, but they had also done the same for her. Many times, this family proved to her that they cared about her. Putting their lives on the line for her was more than enough to earn her loyalty.

"I am joyous that you are all unharmed. And thank you for fighting by my side. I could not have done it without all of your assistance." Her cheeks reddened happily and her smile was contagious.

"Before you try to hug us, let's get you radiation free by washing you off. We don't want to give anyone radiation posioning," Donnie said. Starfire looked down at her outfit, which was soaked with a layer of the ooze that covered the Kraangnium. She laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

* * *

><p>Once they returned to the lair, Starfire was directed to the shower with a sealable plastic bag. She removed her clothing and set the bag outside the bathroom door, where Donnie picked it up with tongs. He and April soaked the clothes in large bucket filled with water and baking soda to cleanse as much of the radiation as they could. In the meantime, Starfire took an extensive shower and cleaned herself off using a bar of soap that was unused to the point where it was practically caked to the shower floor.<p>

Leo opened the bathroom door a crack and left clean towels for Starfire just inside. Once she was finished, April came by to tell her that Donnie didn't think it was a good idea to use the dryer just in case there were still traces of radiation. She and Leo were going to stop by April's apartment to get her pajamas so she would have something to wear while her clothes air-dried in the corner of Donnie's lab.

To pass the time, Starfire wrapped her body and hair each in a towel and watched television with Mikey. An old Japanese classic was playing and the two were glued to the story in no time.

The scene was a dramatic duel between two distinguished samurai. However, they were using bamboo swords so the battle would not be lethal. The first samurai charged and each sword ended at the other's throat. The second declared a draw, which infuriated the first. He demanded a duel with real swords, a challenge the calmer swordsman declined. The first samurai drew his sword, leaving the second with no choice.

The dialogue was accompanied by English subtitles, but Starfire had no need for them. Without realizing it, she was asking Mikey questions in Japanese.

_"Why does the samurai insist on dueling with real swords? Clearly his opponent is more skilled and will strike him down."_

_"I asked Sensei that and he said that he let his stubbornness get the best of him. Kind of like Raph does sometimes."_

Behind them, Raph snorted. While Starfire was out of the bathroom, he took the opportunity to use the toilet. Being careful not to glance at Starfire's exposed shoulders, he hurried and shut the door behind him.

Back to the film, the first samurai charged with a yell and the second struck him down. Sheathing his sword, the victor did not relish in his victory and walked away from the fallen warrior. All were silent.

_"A true warrior does not seek to demonstrate his skills to defeat an equal. He must have a reason to fight beyond himself. The poor man did not know better," _Starfire commented solemnly. She tilted her head and the towel around her hair loosened.

_"Sometimes they don't learn that until it's too late. But lucky for us, we have Sensei to teach us that before we go into battle," _Mikey replied. As he finished speaking, the squeaking of the turnstiles drew their attention. April and Leo entered the lair. In April's hand was a plastic bag, which she lifted into the air.

"Delivery for Starfire, fresh PJ's just for you," April said. Starfire flew to them and took the bag from her hand.

"Thank you for allowing me the use of your clothes," Starfire said graciously.

"It's no problem. Now the shirt might be a little big, but I wasn't sure if my other pajamas would fit you since you're taller than me. And the boxer shorts have strings, so they should stay on," April informed her. Starfire nodded and began floating to the bathroom.

"I still say that that you should have given her the bunny slippers," Leo told April.

"And risk getting them named and permanently adopted by Mikey? I don't think so."

Starfire reached the threshold of the bathroom, but before her hand could touch the doorknob, the door flew open. Raph, in an attempt to escape the bathroom before Starfire arrived, tried to rush out. However, his plan backfired completely and he ran smack into her. She let out an 'oof' and the towel atop her head fell. Her hair fell in cascades around her. Raph's face pressed against her stomach for a moment. The soft fabric of the towel and her scent overwhelmed him before he snapped back to reality.

He jumped backwards and glanced up at her. She was surprised, but she struck him without moving. The way her wet hair clung to her cheeks and shoulders made his heart jump. Her bare legs peeked out from underneath the towel wrapped around her. A warm sensation traveled through his body, his throat tightened.

Trying to save face, he snatched the towel that fell from her head to the ground and shoved it in her direction.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the towel. She tucked her hair behind her ear and Raph muttered 'welcome' before hurrying away from everyone's prying eye. Unable to leave fast enough, he slammed his bedroom door behind him without a single backwards glance.

In the safe confines of his room, he leaned back against his door and rubbed a hand over his face.

_Crud, I have it bad for this girl_, he thought, despite himself. He slid down to the floor and scooped up Spike in his hands. Resting his pet turtle against his chest, he rubbed Spike's carapace, trying to make sense of his new emotions.

* * *

><p>After dressing in her temporary pajamas, Donnie applied a new bandage to her back. She would soon have no need for it, but it was better to keep the wound covered until the blisters healed. She would have finished the three-hour movie with Mikey, but Master Splinter insisted that they all get a reasonable night's sleep after the vicious battle they endured. April soon went home with Donnie and everyone retired to their bedrooms not long after his return. Starfire adjusted a pillow and rested her head on top of it, stretching her body across the couch.<p>

Only then did she realize that the blanket she was given last night was nowhere to be found. However, she did not want to wake anyone up. The blanket was not necessary for her warmth, but it would have been nice to wrap herself in something soft.

An awkward cough sounded from above her. Opening her eyes, she found Raph, standing at the edge of the pit. He held out a blanket to her.

"Thank you, Raph. I did not wish to awaken anyone," she said, sitting up and taking the blanket from his hand.

"No problem. I-we all figured that after fighting that overgrown brain for us, the least you deserved was a clean blanket. Leo put the other one in the laundry," he explained, crossing his arms. Instead of tip-toeing around her, he wanted to try talking to her this time. Despite his embarrassment earlier, it was easier for him now because his brothers weren't around to pick up on his awkwardness.

"Oh! I had almost forgotten. I wish to thank you for yesterday," Starfire remembered.

"For what exactly?" Raph asked. A lot had happened these past few days, so he couldn't pinpoint what she was talking about.

"I realize that he is very exuberant about his studies, but when Donnie mentioned running tests to learn more about me, it made me uncomfortable. Then you told him not to ask that of me. Thank you for speaking up on my behalf, even though you may not have realized it at the time," Starfire said. She could have told Donnie that she would not allow him to run experiments on her, but she was fearful that she would be asked to explain herself. If she had withheld information, Master Splinter might have distrusted her and not allowed his sons to help her.

"Well, you didn't look too happy when he said that. Plus, you already escaped from the Kraang and they did enough damage as is," Raph replied, referring to her burn. He assumed that anyone who nearly underwent the needle of the Kraang would be adverse to experimentation from anyone, even Donnie went he meant well.

"My back was the only real harm they did, but. . ," she trailed off.

"Not a fun thing for you. Got it," Raph interrupted, not wanting to pry into whatever induced her nightmares. Starfire recognized this as his way of saying she didn't need to elaborate any further. She silently thanked him for understanding.

"I have to say that you're is pretty strong to have faced the Kraang and kicked their butts like that. And. . . uh. . . I didn't mean what I said earlier," he muttered.

"Which part?" Starfire knew from Mikey's stories that Raph often let his temper get the best of him, but she wanted him to face up to his earlier insults.

"About you getting upset over everything. I guess I never know how to control my emotions and that frustrates me. So when you express yourself, it makes me feel. . . weak." Raph sat down, trying to collect the words needed to get what he was feeling across. "It's cool how strong you are, but when you're way better at using your emotions to your advantage, it reminds me how much I still have to learn." Starfire smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I have a friend that once struggled to control his powers. They threatened to consume and destroy everything around him. What he did not realize was that for he and his powers to become one, he had to embrace those powers. It is the same with your anger. You deny that you are angry and that allows it to consume your actions. If you embrace it, but do not allow it to cloud your mind, then you can channel your anger to fight for the right reasons."

Raph relaxed under her touch. Her smile and compassionate eyes reassured him that he could stay strong despite his anger issues. He had to admit that even though she had a lot to learn about the family, she was starting to grow on all of them. Raph gently punched her arm with his hand, demonstrating his fondness for her as best as he could. Recognizing the gesture, Starfire excitedly punched his arm in return. He held back a yelp, hoping that she didn't leave a bruise on his toughened skin. Starfire quickly backtracked, hoping she did not overreach the meaning of his actions.

"Does this mean I am the part of the family?" she asked carefully.

"Give it a bit. We'll see," he responded with a grin, trying not to groan at the pain. "Come on, let's get some shut eye before Master Splinter catches us." He grabbed the blanket and shook it by the corners, allowing it to unfold. He threw over Starfire's face and stood up from the pit. Readjusting the blanket, Starfire stretched the blanket over her body. She settled into the couch on her side, facing Raph.

"Pleasant schlorvaks, Raph," she breathed.

"Good night, Starfire," he said, hoping that was the correct response to her foreign phrase. Before turning off the overhead light, he took one last look at her. She closed her eyes and was beginning to drift off to sleep. Hopefully she would sleep peacefully tonight.

He made fun of his brother for his crush on a girl plenty of times, but he never expected the roles to be reversed. Unlike Donnie, he still believed he didn't have a chance with such an amazing girl. But at the very least, he could appreciate meeting her and her acceptance of his offer into his family. His gaze on her peaceful face lingered before he turned away, not wanting to allow himself to hope that she could stay and feel the same for him.


	6. How Long Is Goodbye?

_Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your patience! This is two months late, but I finally finished my first __fanfiction! Go check out dglari's tumblr and deviantart for her wonderful art! Also, the music for a certain scene is her__e (/watch?v=1LT600uTJHg). It's called Alone Together from the show Steven Universe and the second song is Shake it Off by Taylor Swift. =) I hope you've all enjoyed and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!_

* * *

><p><em>She sped through the tight alley, fear pushing her to fly faster. Stealing a backwards glimpse, a gasp caught in her throat as shadows gained on her. The horrid snarling and screeching echoed around her. Hoping to confuse her pursuer, she made a sharp turn at a crossroads. She pressed on, but something caught her eye. Halting midair, she eyed a familiar figure sprawled on the ground. She fell to his side and gripped his arm, instincts screaming to leave before the shadows found them. <em>

_His head snapped up, revealing a blood soaked face. Wild eyes bore into Starfire, startling her. Before she could say anything, the darkness wrapped around them and clung to her friend, beginning to drag him away. _

_"Help me!" Raph choked out, spitting blood with each breath. _

_Starfire was barely able to grab his hand on time as the darkness consumed him. She held fast and tugged with all her might, summoning the strength to save him. It was to no avail. Suddenly, a tentacle seized her throat, stealing her breath away. Tears flooded her eyes at the sheer pain. She strained to hold onto Raph, but her hand closed onto nothing but cold air. _

_"Please. . ." she pleaded, struggling to breathe. The shadows loomed over her and pounced, removing all visibility. The tentacle thrashed her against hardened walls. Helpless to fight back, Starfire endured to blows as best as she could, inhaling ragged gasps with each hit. _

_When the creature finally released her, she slumped to the ground coughing. Rubbing her neck, she lifted her head. Raph was nowhere in sight. The darkness rendered him silent. Starfire's gaze hardened, determined to find him. _

_Just then, a Psion cut through the darkness, knife in hand. It was coming for her. _

_Starfire screamed, her throat raw from being tossed around. She raised a fist to strike it. Something tightened around her wrist and halted her attack. Spinning around, she cried out at the Psion mercilessly holding her captive. _

"Hey! Wake up!"

_Huh? _

"Come on, wake up!"

Starfire jolted and sat up. Light flooded her eyes. Footsteps sounded and she shifted to see Raph squatting at the edge of the pit, his brothers fast approaching from behind him. He drew his hand back from her shoulder, eyes filled with concern. The image of his bloodied face of him flashed before her. Starfire blinked, realizing she was awake. It was merely another nightmare. She was safe in the lair and Raph remained unharmed.

"Another nightmare?' Leo guessed, stepping closer.

"Oh no, she was just yelling in her sleep because she was dreaming about lollipops and daises. What do you think, Leo?" Raph responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Well, I wanted to be sure," Leo said indignantly. The two returned their attention to Starfire, who was rubbing her eyes. After a moment's silence, she realized they were waiting for her response.

"While my dream was. . . unpleasant, there is no need for concern. I am. . . tired is all," she offered. While the fight last night was dangerous, that wasn't what exhausted her. The plaguing nightmares stole her sleep and she needed more than time in the sun to reenergize her. Normally when she had nightmares, she waited until they faded from her dreams.

Here, she could not afford to be exhausted. Donnie would have the communicator ready to connect to the portal any day now. When infiltrating enemy headquarters, she would need all of her strength to protect the Hamato family. She would not risk their safety after all they had done for her.

"You are more than tired," a voice observed. Splinter entered the room, stroking his beard in thought. "Your mind seems troubled. Perhaps you would like to join me for a morning meditation. I often find that clearing my mind is the best way to sort out whatever is troubling me."

Starfire flashed back to her many meditation sessions with Raven. Only a few times did she feel her consciousness slip into a drifting state. While she loved immersing herself in the many lively and joyful activities Earth offered her, a moment of quiet often soothed her in an unusual way. And even though they did not speak for the majority of their sessions, Starfire found comfort in the quiet of Raven's presence more than she did the actual meditation.

Even though her friend was not present, Starfire was not one to deny such an offer from a grandmaster of ninjutsu. Perhaps Master Splinter could provide her the wisdom needed to ward away her nightmares.

"I would most enjoy meditation," she responded gladly. Sliding the blanket off, Starfire pulled herself out of the pit and followed Splinter towards the dojo.

"You are welcome to join us if you wish," he reminded his sons. Without hesitation, Leo bounded after his sensei. Raph narrowed his eyes after Leo, opting to warm up his biceps with sai pushups. Donnie retreated to his lab to record several calculations he had done in his head while Splinter was speaking. He was close to finishing the adjustments on the communicator and nothing short of an explosion would stop him. Mikey shrugged and headed for the kitchen to whip up some breakfast. He hoped Starfire liked waffles smothered in leftover tomato and garlic sauce.

In the dojo, the Tamaranian, rat, and turtle settled in lotus position by the base of the tree. The small rays of sunshine peeking through the ceiling grate glimmered upon them. Starfire floated above the carpet as Splinter began instructing her.

"Do not listen on the outside distractions. Rather, focus on your breathing. Feel each inhale as it grows and exhale leaving your body."

Starfire slowed her breathing, quietly tuning out the sound of Mikey singing a familiar tune from the kitchen.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted. At this, Leo twitched momentarily. While he normally did not recite a mantra, he wasn't about to tell her she was meditating incorrectly. If that was how she concentrated, then so be it. He smiled and refocused his breathing.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Starfire remembered the sense of calm she would feel with Raven. Even though she wasn't an empath, the positive energy radiating from her friend comforted her. Meditation was lonesome without that energy surrounding her and reminding her that someone was beside her.

Trying to summon that positive emotion, Starfire focused on her memories of Raven. The many hours spent by the sunlit window in the ops room. The reassurance that she did hold common ground with her female friend. The laughter when Raven splattered Beast Boy's tofu in his face for trying to distract them.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Her consciousness slipped deeper within herself. Gone was the occasional cry of frustration from within Donnie's lab or the clanging of pots from Mikey's kitchen drumming. Even the warmth of the sunbeams faded.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos._

A familiar presence wavered in and out of Starfire's consciousness. A faint voice sounded in the distance.

_Azarath Metrion Zinth- Starfire?_

Starfire tuned every ounce of energy she had into that voice, straining to find it.

_Starfire!_

A faint image of Raven flashed before her closed eyes. On the darkness of the horizon, Raven stretched her powers towards her wayward friend, taking form of a bird claw. Starfire raised her hand, wanting to be snatched away by the talons. The image flickered and melded into light. The dojo reformed before her eyes.

Starfire blinked, willing Raven to reappear.

No such luck.

Her hand drooped and she turned to Master Splinter and Leo. Both were watching her curiously, wondering where her mind had gone to shift the energy in the room so drastically.

"What happened?" Leo asked, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"I believe I made a connection with my friend."

* * *

><p>Raven nearly plummeted to the floor from her levitating position, trying to wrap her head around what in the name of Azar had happened.<p>

Despite not making any progress for nearly a day, she had pushed on in her meditation. Raven allowed her conscious to slip away from her and explore the energy signals of every known universe. While her powers were barely developed enough to locate someone within the city's perimeter, she could glance at places far beyond her reach if she was tuned in well enough.

Unfortunately, such a task sapped her energy and Raven was beyond exhausted. She hardly had the time to quell her powers with her usual meditation before Robin demanded she try to search for Starfire again. Beast Boy, trying to help as best he could, left tea at Raven's door so her mind wouldn't burst at the seam from the strain on her powers.

Starfire's energy was unique, but trying to locate her within the plane of existence was about as successful as looking for Beast Boy as a pill bug in the mall's ball pit; beyond aggravating and unsuccessful. Raven thought they would have a better chance finding her communicator's signal on the scanner in the ops room. Since the scanner hadn't found anything, Raven could not open her own portal to bring Starfire back. All she could do was continue searching the plane hoping to find some trace of her.

That was, until now.

Raven felt someone chanting her mantra in unison with her on the plane. Darting around, she spied a flickering figure on the distance. Calling her name, Raven pleaded to Azar that Starfire could hear her. She sent her soul self to reach for her friend, but Starfire disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

Though she could not make the complete psychic connection, Raven now knew where her energy signal was coming from. Once Cyborg fixed the portal, there was no telling what would be on the other side. If Raven cast a spell to pull Starfire back through the portal, then none of the Titans would need to risk traversing the dimension she was trapped in.

Soon, she would be coming home.

Raven grimaced.

_Robin's going to shower her with attention for weeks. I'll never be able to meditate with both of their emotions dripping with sappiness. Oh joy._

* * *

><p>"So the idea behind this little device is that it'll create a brief energy surge that will temporarily disable the power, thereby shutting off alarm and security systems. However, there's a 27% chance it'll spontaneously combust on itself and I'm not sure how to test it without risking breaking it," Donnie explained, pondering over his remote control. Starfire leaned on his desk and listened intently.<p>

"How long would it take you to build another should it combust?" she asked. Her eyes scanned over the open board and observed the layout of each piece.

"Well, I don't have spare resistors and there's usually not many in the dump. Plus a few of the components are near impossible to find unless I get access to a real lab. So maybe another few days if I can find a way to replace it," he estimated, tilting back in his chair.

"Perhaps if you altered the design of where the inductors and resistors are, then you might be able to use less resistors for the test," she suggested.

"I've already tried that, but this design is actually the most likely to work. Would you be okay with the first test being outside TCRI?" he asked. While he was certain Starfire did not want to wait much longer to return home, the last thing he wanted was to be so close to the portal and then have to tear Starfire away from it until they could return.

"I am willing to try it. And I believe that your invention will work. From what you have shown me, your intelligence has sparked many wonderful ideas," she complimented. Donnie rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, thanks! It's all part of what I do. And you're not too shabby yourself. You did a neat job filling the eggshells with smoke powder. If all else fails, we can sneak in through smoke bombs," Donnie figured. He was used to his brothers only noticing when his inventions failed. So it was a pleasant surprise that someone complimented his work. Despite the imperfections of his scrap inventions, he could always find another way to solve the problem.

"All that we really have to worry about is your communicator and so far, the test runs with Metalhead have been successful. I'm confident we can pull this off," Donnie said, clasping his hands behind his head. Starfire beamed and soared through the air. She floated throughout the room, being careful to not knock over any equipment.

"Oh joy! I cannot wait to see my friends again and my little _bumgorf_ Silkie!" she squealed in delight.

"They'll be happy to see you too, I'm sure," Donnie remarked, following her flight pattern about the lab. "Is your back hurting at all? Do you need any more antibiotic cream before we have to send you off?"

"My back has not been bothersome as of late. The cream has already helped to ease the pain, so I will be fine," Starfire replied, still giddy in flight.

"In that case, Doctor Donatello is no longer needed," Donnie stated dramatically, standing up from his chair. Just then, unfinished business jumped to the forefront of his mind.

"Hey, Starfire?" he began.

"Yes?" She floated over his desk.

"I'm sorry about the other day when I mentioned running tests on your powers. I should have thought about what I was saying and you had just come from TCRI, so it was inconsiderate of me to even suggest something like that and I didn't mean for it that way-"

"Donnie, it is the O and the K. You meant no harm. It is enough that you have worked hard to help me," she said reassuringly, holding a hand over her heart. Donnie released the breath he didn't realize he was holding and smiled thankfully.

"So, without using experiments," he began jokingly, "how about I ask a couple questions to learn more about you instead?"

"It is a deal," Starfire giggled. She seated herself on the edge of the desk, ready to indulge his curious mind.

"I realize that your appearance is similar to that of a human, but you're from another planet. Did that ever get in the way of your dating life?" he asked, tapping his fingers together.

"Not at all. I once experienced a transformation where I developed a number of unpleasant changes, including a horn, enlarged feet, and grotesque fingernails. I believed that Robin would not wish to see me in such a state, but he told me that my appearance was not a concern of his," Starfire recalled, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

"Oh. I see," Donnie mumbled.

_Maybe there's something wrong with me besides my appearance. _

"Do not fret. She certainly cares for you."

"Huh?" Donnie's head snapped up. Starfire watched him carefully.

"How did you. . . W-what I mean to say is. . ," he trailed off.

"I have noticed how you behave around April and she does care for you," Starfire said, reiterating her point.

"I know she does, but I'm not sure if it's the way I care for her," Donnie sighed. "I can't be grateful enough that she's comfortable enough to think of me as her best friend and want to hang out with me. But I can't help but hope that maybe she'd. . ." He paused. Despite his large vocabulary, how could he put what he felt for her into mere words?

"There is hope." Starfire rested her hand on his shoulder. "As long as you value her company and friendship, then she will always be a part of your life. It may not be soon, but if she has 'the feelings' for you as well, she will return them."

The never ending hope in Donnie's heart flourished. If an interspecies relationship was possible where Starfire came from, then his chances were that much higher. No matter if April chose him or not, as long as he could see her safe and happy, then he would do his best to be happy.

"Thanks, Starfire. That helped. A lot."

Starfire nodded and made a noise of affirmation.

"Do you have an suggestions for activities I could do with her? Ones that say 'hey, we're pretty good friends, but even good friends don't do this hint hint,'" Donnie waved his hands about, thinking back to his flowchart of ways to hang out with April.

Starfire thought for a moment, then lit up.

"Oh! You should try dancing! Robin and I once danced at what I believe was called prom and it was most enjoyable." She remembered how light she felt when Robin took her hand and guided her with each movement. Earthen teenage movies had made dancing to be a momentous occasion and she had the chance to live that moment for herself. Growing up on a different planet often left her ignorant of Earth's culture, but even she knew that dancing with your crush was a rite of passage for any teenager. She was determined to help Donnie have that same feeling of happiness.

"I will teach you how to slow dance!" Starfire said decidedly. She took his hands into hers and pulled him away from his desk into the center of the lab. Donnie could only yelp helplessly. He stood awkwardly in front of Starfire, unsure of what he had gotten himself into.

"Y-you don't have to teach me. I've studied a few techniques to slow dance," Donnie said feebly, hoping his brothers wouldn't decide to peek into his lab anytime soon.

"Then I will assist you in practicing," Starfire said. She placed his right hand on her hip and she gestured for him to lift her right hand with his left. Donnie gulped. While he was still getting used to the feeling of being physically close to April, Starfire was quickly unsettling him with the intimate position they were in. Now he knew how Raph felt.

"Now you will lead," she insisted. Donnie glanced down, hoping he wouldn't step on his dance partner's feet. He stepped forward and began moving them in a circular motion. Donnie concentrated on the forms he taught himself and smoothly transitioned between each step. Slowly but surely, the pair swayed rhythmically.

"Hmm," Starfire's face scrunched momentarily in thought.

"What? Am I doing something wrong?" Donnie asked nervously.

"No, you are doing very well. It is only that. . . we need music!" she realized. Breaking their stance, she led him to his laptop.

"Would you please play the music? That is the key component of a dance, or so Cyborg says."

"Of course! What kind of style are we going for here?"

"I would say soothing and mellow, but has 'the beat' to dance to," Starfire suggested, hoping she was using her lingo correctly.

Donnie brought up his music player application. He scrolled through his many playlists, searching for one he compiled after the time April brought a dance to the lair. Leaving her lame high school dance behind, she crawled down a manhole, plugged her TPhone into the speaker system, and turned down the lights. What ensued was a fun and normal human experience for the turtles. Since then, she and Donnie exchanged song ideas for the next time Mikey insisted on showing off his newest moves.

Finally finding it, Donnie selected a song he hoped wouldn't seem overtly romantic on the off chance it came up on shuffle. Clicking play, the music softened the atmosphere of the lab. The pair moved into the form they left off on and continued dancing.

Donnie relaxed and now moved more naturally. He maintained eye contact with Starfire, focusing on her rather than stepping precisely. Their feet glided across the floor, maintaining a push and pull balance between the two.

Feeling more confident, Donnie decided to step it up. If he ever had the chance to dance with April, then he would make it memorable. He lifted their joined hands above Starfire's head and twirled her around. Happily surprised, Starfire giggled and spun on her toes, her joy almost lifting her into a float.

The song slowed into its final notes. Donnie gently tugged Starfire back into his arms and lowered her for a classic dip. They hung there for a moment, allowing the music to fade. Donnie righted Starfire and modestly removed his hands from her. He grinned, grateful for the chance to prove to himself that he could be smooth when he needed to be. Starfire beamed at him proudly.

"Most wonderful! You are a natural dancer!" she complimented, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Thanks. For everything," Donnie said gratefully.

Suddenly, a new song burst forth from Donnie's laptop. Its beat was much faster and the peppy tune the work of the newest teen idol. Starfire listened with piqued curiosity while Donnie briefly blushed before remembering that she had no idea how uncool it was for him to have this song. They shared a look. Starfire had an energetic look in her eyes, almost pleading for him to let her explore the possibilities this song had to offer. Donnie remembered that this was likely her last night here and, knowing her, she would want her last memory to be a happy one. She didn't want to leave her new friends with the regret that she didn't enjoy their company while she had it. It was a fluke that she came here in the first place and the Hamato clan was likely to never see her again. Donnie shook his head, casting away any shame he had over his questionable music choices.

"Since it's you're last day here, you deserve a little fun." Donnie strode to the laptop and turned the volume to its highest setting. Giving Starfire a purposeful look, he waved his arms in the air and shook his hips in rhythm to the song.

Starfire let out an excited squeal and the two danced unashamedly. Donnie sang along to the corny lyrics of the chorus while Starfire clapped to the beat. They hopped across the floor and joined hands. Swinging their arms back and forth, neither of them noticed when an audience appeared at the door of the lab.

"You guys having a dance party?" Mikey piped up. Starfire waved her hand for them to jump in.

"Come join us, friends! We are having 'the fun' and this song is my jelly!" she exclaimed over the music.

"I think you mean 'jam,'" Leo politely corrected, still trying to get a grasp on Starfire's use of slang.

"Whatever it is, I am so in!" Mikey proclaimed. He snatched April's hand and tugged her into the lab. She laughed and joined Mikey in his rendition of the robot, a silly grin gracing them both.

Leo nudged Raph's shoulder with his hand, gesturing towards the happy little group. Raph glimpsed at them reluctantly, his arms crossed.

"Can't hurt to have a little fun. Besides, it's your last chance to get a dance in before-" Leo started teasingly.

"I know that!" Raph barked, his glare sharpening. "Just. . . just don't, ok?" Leo withdrew his hand, not saying a word. Only from years of brotherhood did he understand why Raph wouldn't want to show off his best moves in front of Starfire. The red-banded turtle wasn't going to act like he had any sort of chance with her, even though she saw past his gruff exterior. The last thing he wanted was a reminder that he was never going to see her again after today. So why try to hold onto her?

"I'm sure she'll want you to change your mind," Leo offered carefully before leaving his brother to his thoughts. Raph just about whirled around and left before he could be hauled in by the dancing dorks. Against his better judgment, he threw her one last glance and halted. She was looking at him. Not with the cheerful expression he expected from her, but instead wistful.

She knew this was her way of saying goodbye and she was sad to leave him and his family behind. But she wasn't letting that weigh her down. Raph suddenly felt guilty for wanting to leave her hanging like this. She deserved better. Swallowing his pride, he rushed at the party in full force.

She practically leapt for joy when he jumped in the middle of the circle with his best version of the sprinkler, sending Donnie sprawling in the process. April steadied Donnie before he fell flat on his face and they both sent a mischievous glare Raph's way.

Raph spun on his shell and kicked into the air, landing perfectly on his feet. Everyone cheered and hollered as Raph shuffled his way out of the center.

"Let's see what you've got," he challenged, pointing at Starfire. She flustered for a moment, tucking hair behind her ear, before Mikey patted her shoulder.

"I saw those moves earlier! Go for it, girl!" he encouraged her. Mustering her courage, Starfire stepped out and unleashed her Tamaranian spirit. Little did her companions know, she performed a dance traditional to Blorthog, her planet's festival of friendship. While her time here was short, the friends she made were precious and she would never forget them. The dance, which could only be described as ethereal and mesmerizing, was meant to drive away the _rekmas_, the death of friendship.

Everyone's mouth hung open throughout her performance. Starfire finished by raising her arms from behind her head and holding them daintily in the air. Opening her eyes, she met her friend's shocked stares with a small smile.

Her audience whooped and roared with applause. Their voices melded together with compliments and approval over what a great dance she had done. Mikey was the only one crazy enough to take over the dance floor after she had outdone all of them. For a time, they relished the sporadic moment. Each got their turn to shine and their only worry was what would come up next on Donnie's playlist.

Before they had to wind down and reluctantly disperse, Starfire caught a glance of Splinter at the doorway. A heartwarming smile was shared between the two and he nodded before making his leave. He wished her good tidings and trusted that she would protect his family as they encroached on enemy territory.

With the party over, it was time. Starfire was going home.

* * *

><p>Poised on a rooftop, the warriors watched TCRI silently. Less than an hour before, they set out from the lair in the Shellraiser. Their plan was simple. April would activate an electrical interference device that Donnie built. The turtles and Starfire would have an estimated 10 seconds to burst into the portal room before a backup generator would kick in. This would buy them time to take out as many Kraang as possible before they could alert the entire building to trouble. With fewer robots to fire at them, Donnie would connect Starfire's communicator to the portal's interface, hopefully connecting it back to her world.<p>

_"But I damaged the portal in my home dimension," Starfire warned Leo as he pointed at the blueprint of TCRI._

_"You have a technician on your team, right?" he recalled. Starfire nodded. "Then he's fixed it by now."_

_"That depends on how much time has passed. It's highly likely that there's a temporal differential between our universes," Donnie theorized. _

_"Can you translate that into understandable English?" Raph interjected._

_"Time might pass faster or slower than it passes here," April explained. "A day here could be, let's say, an hour in Starfire's world."_

_"Well if he's anywhere near as smart as Donnie, which I know Cyborg is, then he's got it all figured out. I'm sure right now they're waiting at the portal for you," he said reassuringly. Starfire's cheeks warmed at the thought. _

_Leo stood up straight, his serious leader mode taking over._

_"All right team, it's time to break into TCRI."_

_"But before we go, group picture everyone!" Mikey exclaimed. He gathered Starfire and April close, his brothers gathering in behind them. Lifting his TPhone, he said,_

_"Say mustard!"_

_"Mustard!"_

_Click!_

Before they could start, Donnie warned April of a few liabilities she would have to keep in mind.

"Since this interference device emits a strong signal, it's easily traceable. Smash it when you see the power return, smash this and head straight back to the Shellraiser. We'll meet you there once we get back out," he said. April gripped the device, ready to give the Kraang a run for their money.

"Let's do this," April said determinately. The guys nodded and turned to Starfire. She was ready for this mission, but there was one last thing she had to do. She pounced at April and hugged her tightly. Leaning down and resisting a glance at Donnie, she whispered,

"I will miss you, friend. Be brave."

"Can't. . . breathe," April sputtered. Starfire released the bruised redhead from her bone-crushing hug. Despite her arms now as limp as jelly, April lifted them enough to return the gesture.

"Take care of yourself. And don't fall through any more portals or we'll have to come get you," she said cheekily.

"I shall be more careful," she promised.

Reluctantly, they drew apart. Starfire backed up to join the boys. One by one, they dove off the roof to sneak their way on top of TCRI. The girls shared one last look, and then Starfire was gone from sight.

April pulled out her phone, waiting for Leo to text her that they were in position. Just then, a notification that Mikey sent a picture popped up. Opening it, she smiled when she saw it was the one from not an hour ago. Saving the image of her family to her photos, April murmured,

"Come back safely."

* * *

><p>"Ow!"<p>

"Mikey, now isn't the time to send your photo album to everyone!"

"But what if my TPhone gets lasered? Then all of these memories will be lost!"

"_Guys!_"

They fell silent as they ducked outside the window of the upper room. Peeking in, Raph eyed the portal. Luckily, the number of Kraang they had to deal with was smaller than their last visit. Taking them out would be a cinch. Donnie pulled out a compass and carved a circular hole in the glass. Reaching his hand in to unlock it, he gave Leo a stern nod and the text to April was sent. Moments later, the power in the building snuffed out. The window flung open and everyone stormed in.

Before they could cry out, the Kraang in flying crafts were sliced out of the air. Any droids fast enough to raise a laser gun were obliterated with a single punch. Ninja stars damaged the elevator controls, cutting off any means of escape. Flashes of green light broke through the darkness.

The whirring of Kraang droids could be heard no more. The lights above flickered on to reveal scraps of metal strewn across the floor. The Kraang knocked out of their suits clawed at the closed doors, squealing pathetically. Two shadows cast over them and they shrank in fear.

Raph and Starfire scooped up the brains by their tentacles and tossed them into a storage room. The aliens thrashed against the glass holding them prisoner, but to no avail. Raph gave Starfire thumbs up.

"Nice work trashing those suits," he complimented.

"You also decimated many. Do you believe we succeeded in capturing all of them?" she asked worriedly.

"Not likely. They're pretty slippery, so we'll have to work fast. How's it looking over there, Donnie?" Leo inquired. Said turtle, his tongue sticking out in concentration, was furiously typing away at the portal's control panel. With each tap, bright colors lit up across the screen. Finally, a chime sounded and Donnie pumped a fist.

"Yes, overridden! Now I just have to redirect the connection to the portal in the right dimension and then we can fire it up." He pulled a wire from under the panel and inserted it into the frame of the communicator.

"All right! This is going way better than last time. Hopefully we'll have time to stop by Antonio's before they close for late night," Mikey suggested. His stomach rumbled, already aching for the zesty cheese and anchovies combo.

"You already had 15 slices for dinner. April's not going to buy you pizza anytime soon," Raph said.

"No problem, it'll be on the house. All I need to do is collect 3 bobby pins, duct tape, and a bucket. I can present it to the chefs as a new tomato slicer and then they'll give us free pizza for at least a year because I'm such a genius!" Mikey victoriously pointed dramatically at the sky, fantasizing the piles of pizza boxes. Raph and Leo could only groaned tiredly.

"How would the 'pins of bobby' chop the tomatoes? Are they not rounded so as to avoid injury to the cranium when placing them in your hair?" Starfire questioned.

Suddenly, lights flashed red, spilling harsh shadows across the floor. An alarm blared throughout the building. The boy's heads whipped at one brother.

"_Mikey!_"

"I didn't touch anything this time!" He held up his hands in defense.

"We must have let one get away," Raph growled.

"Block off the exits in any way possible!" Leo ordered. "Donnie?"

"It's not connecting yet! We need more time," he insisted.

"I will buy you time," Starfire announced. Darting to the main elevator, she slammed her hands into the doors and heaved. Shoving the metal door aside, she saw that the cords were pulling the elevator up towards them. Her eyes lit up with starbolt energy and fired, incinerating the cords. The melting metal became misshapen enough to get caught in the rotating gears above, halting the elevator.

A familiar _ding _rang. Spinning around, Starfire's eyes widened when the other two elevators opened, dozens of Kraang droids filed out. They raised laser guns directly at the intruders.

"Kraang demands that those who are known as the turtles and escaped prisoner do that which is known as surrender," the lead Kraang droned.

"I don't think so." Leo lunged forward, swords unsheathed. Mikey darted in behind him and tossed his chain, effectively trapping a Kraang. Leo swung his swords and the robot's torso came clean off. Mikey tugged the chain and flung the remaining lower half into other Kraang. The ninjas darted to the side as lasers whizzed past, narrowly missing them. A smoke bomb flew into the Kraang's midst and stole the vision from their eyepieces. One by one, they fell at the blades of the turtle's weapons.

The smoke now clearing, Leo threw Donnie a glance over his shoulder, but the whirring of more Kraang behind him redirected his attention. A larger group emerged from the elevator and they readied their weapons.

"Kraang demands that those who are known as the turtles-"

"We get it! Surrender and all that. When have we ever given up just because you told us to?" Leo exasperated.

The Kraang exchanged glances.

"Kraang cannot recall a time when those who are known-"

Mikey popped up in front of the droning Kraang.

"Rhetorical question, dude," he clarified. Kraang swung its laser gun to strike, but Mikey neatly dodged the weapon and smacked the Kraang in the face with his nunchuk.

By the other elevator, Raph barreled over the oncoming Kraang, thrusting his sai through the chest of each one, while Starfire swooped in from above with a volley of starbolts. She descended to float beside Raph as he landed a spinning kick on a swaying robot.

"Is that the last of them?" Starfire inquired, scanning the immediate area.

"Yeah, but we've got more coming, so you'd better take care of that elevator while you- whoa!" At the last moment, Starfire shoved Raph out of the way of laser blast. A lone Kraang had hidden itself behind a projection from the wall and emerged to fire at the distracted ninja. Falling to the floor, Starfire kept a hand on Raph's shell and launched a single starbolt. She met her mark and the Kraang crumpled to the floor, its smoldering head flying across the room.

Raph caught her impressive shot and grinned admirably.

"Remind me not to make you mad again." Beside him, Starfire smirked. Standing up, they readied themselves for the next wave. The elevator _dinged_ and Kraang flooded out, firing immediately. With a battle cry, the two sprang into action.

Leo grappled with a Kraang and eyed a few slipping past him. They headed straight for the increasingly flustered Donnie. Drawing his bo, he struck the incoming robot across the torso and twisted to send it flying over his shoulder. Snapping back, he spotted the other Kraang typing away at the panel and tugging at the communicator, trying to reset the connection of the portal to Dimension X.

Releasing the naginata blade from his bo, Donnie ran it through the circuits in the robot's head. Sparks emerged from the damage. He pushed the Kraang off the panel and took over the controls. So far, the connection to Starfire's home was still trying to establish, but he didn't know how long it would take until he could activate the portal.

With Donnie safely in control of the portal, Leo focused on the task at hand. Another wave of Kraang came in from both sides and it was getting increasingly difficult to fend them off.

_This isn't good. We're this close and the portal decides not to work._

Several Kraang clawed at him. He barely had enough room to swing his sword to give himself breathing room.

_More reinforcements are coming by the minute. If we don't get out now, we'll be done for. But then they'll be expecting us the next time. _

He turned to Starfire. Her eyes were permanently glowing green. The starbolts she fired were much larger than in the fight against the Kraangnium. She wasn't here to lose this battle and neither were his brothers.

_We'll wait a little longer, Starfire. Just please watch my brother's backs._

* * *

><p>Robin tapped his foot anxiously, holding his breath. Beast Boy in bear form sat on the Kraang suit, making sure it didn't try anything fishy. Raven stood by and rubbed her temples, spell book in hand.<p>

Cyborg straightened up from the control panel and wiped his brow.

"All right. Ready to fire this baby up," he confirmed. Robin nodded tersely and Cyborg tapped on the panel. Electricity buzzed and purple glow filled the circular machine.

Robin turned to Raven and she nodded.

"Guess it's my turn." She floated forward and flipped open her book. Reading over the searching spell, she began chanting.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. . . Carazon Amigem Donin. . . Busix Perdio Casan. . . Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Her soul self partially emerged from her body, a bluish glow emanating. A black claw stretched out and paused before the portal. Once the purple glow was fully formed into a thickened haze, the claw plunged in.

Robin shifted closer to the portal, readying himself in case anything else came through.

"Come on, come on," he whispered.

* * *

><p>"Come on! Come on!" Donnie pleaded. Waiting seemed like an eternity and it was even worse when the battle was becoming more chaotic by the second.<p>

Just then, the communicator _pinged!_ Donnie's eyes nearly leapt out of his sockets. The connection between dimensions was made. His plan was a success.

"YES! It worked! Haha! Let's activate this portal!" Dramatically slamming his hand down on the panel, the portal finally turned on. The energy gathered in the center and the purple haze began forming.

Starfire gasped, her heart nearly bursting from joy. But her job here wasn't finished. She needed to uphold her promise to Master Splinter.

"Stand back!" she warned Raph. Earlier, she was afraid of damaging the panel to the portal, but she could not leave the brothers in such danger. Raph leapt back as Starfire landed in front of him. She summoned a massive starbolt and fired at the mass of Kraang that had gathered, being careful to not let her powers graze the portal. Raph nearly toppled over by the sheer force of the energy she emitted. Blinking to clear the spots in his emerald eyes, the Kraang suits were blasted into pieces and the remaining brains scuttled away cowardly.

"Starfire!"

She whirled around to be met head on by the smallest turtle. Mikey clung to her and pressed his face against her shoulder. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Promise you won't forget about us, ok? Cause I'm never gonna forget you," he said, staring up at her with his baby blue eyes.

"Oh, Mikey. I shall always remember you," she promised. Leaning down, she kissed the top of his head affectionately.

"Holy toledo!" Donnie shrieked. Everyone turned to see a menacing, black claw emerging from the flickering purple haze. The turtle's expressions fell in horror, and Raph shifted to stand in front of Mikey and Starfire, the latter of the two beaming.

"Raven!"

"What?" the turtles shouted in unison.

"It is my friend Raven. She will carry me through. I thank you for all of your assistance and for welcoming me into your home," she said graciously. Mikey loosened his grip and slid to the floor, allowing her to move towards the approaching claw. Leo, having finished off another batch of Kraang, nodded at her. Donnie waved from beside the panel.

Starfire turned to face Raph. With little time left, his eyes momentarily shifted away from her before opening his mouth to speak. Her strong hands cradling his cheeks and soft lips pressing a kiss to his forehead halted any words he was about to spill. She held him for a moment before her friend's spell found her. The claw wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

She drew further away from him. Without thinking, Raph snatched her hand in his. Raven's pull forced him to follow after Starfire to hold on. Starfire raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"You fight good!" he sputtered, his cheeks matching the color of his mask.

He let go.

Starfire's smile faded into the glow. Raph stood stoic as the energy began to build for the transfer.

"So long, Starfire."

They left quickly. With their grappling hooks, they crossed to the next building and ducked down into the shadows of the alleyways. April met them with a somber smile when they piled into the Shellraiser. Everyone strapped in and Leo steered the revamped subway car home.

Raph sank into his seat, his arms crossed. He tensed when he felt a poke on his arm, which was still sore from the friendly punch Starfire gave him the night before. He peeked out of the corner of his eye. The object before him made him send a questioning look at Mikey.

The orange-banded turtle presented his sulking brother with the communicator Starfire left behind.

"Just in case we need to call her," he said quietly. After a moment, Raph accepted it. He offered his brother a small smile and reached over to rub his head.

"Besides, I can't believe we both got a kiss from a girl before Donnie," Mikey whispered in Raph's ear. They both snickered as Donnie shot them a glare, counting his blessings that he was the only one to overhear his brothers in the back. Raph tucked the communicator into his belt, already knowing where he would safely store it later.

"Me neither, Mikey. Me neither."

* * *

><p>The raven's claw held her steady through the swirl of time and space around her. As the wind's whipping lessened, a shrieking Kraang in a partial suit passed her, whizzing in the opposite direction. She guessed the Titans were trying to rid of the invaders that were operating the warehouse.<p>

The wind stilled and she was gently lowered to the ground. A familiar face appeared in front of her. His worried face filled her vision and she drew him into her arms.

He didn't let go.

She murmured his name, reassuring him she was safe and with him again. He rubbed a hand through her hair, asking her a million questions and offering a million apologies at once.

Yes, she was fine. Her back did not hurt.

No, it was not his fault.

She had help and would tell everyone the story when they returned home.

Before they boarded the TCar, she approached her green friend. He stumbled over his words and shuffled his feet. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have gotten her back burned and he wouldn't have made everyone worry. She simply held him in her arms. Because of him, she met wonderful new friends and one of them reminded her greatly of him. He morphed into a puppy and curled into her once in the car. Not once did she stop scratching behind his ears.

Once they reached the Tower, she called for a certain pet silkworm. He wriggled and leapt at her. She cooed and carried him in her arms all the way to the ops room.

Her cybernetic friend insisted on cooking her whatever meal she wanted because she deserved the best welcome home feast. All she wanted was pizza with every topping possible on it. He ordered delivery and tossed on anything edible he could find in the fridge. Everyone dined together as she regaled them with her tale, from wandering through the unfamiliar city to breaking back into the looming building.

When she was finished speaking, her cloaked friend offered to heal her wound. She removed the bandage and applied her focused energy into speeding the healing process. The burn would require later tending to, but the cloaked girl reassured her friend it would be gone after a few more healing sessions.

Starfire's cheeks were red from laughter at Beast Boy's jokes. Her stomachs happily filled from Cyborg's food. The dull ache now subsided thanks to Raven's healing. Her hand warm from Robin holding hers since they sat down at the table.

The family inadvertently created by her crash landing on Earth was here and she was whole again.

One by one, her friends began nodding off from exhaustion. They all glared at Robin for being an insomniac and hardly allowing them any sleep. Starfire hugged and wished each one pleasant schlorvaks. Each one, except Robin of course.

"You mind if we go to the roof to talk?" he suggested.

"I would not mind in the least," she responded. Without another word, they left the ops room to climb the stairs to the roof. They sat on the edge, their legs dangling, as they normally would. For a few moments, neither of them said a word. Robin broke the silence first.

"How does your back feel?" he asked for the dozenth time.

"It is much better now that Raven has tended to it," she repeated. Robin raised a hand and brushed aside her hair to look at it once more. His lip tightened and expression forlorn.

"Robin." She pressed a hand to his cheek. He leaned into her and held her hand in his own. "This wound is simply the result of a battle. As long as I have returned home safely and am with you, I am happy. Injury is inevitable, so please do not blame yourself."

Robin rubbed his thumb across her fingers. He sighed.

"I know I shouldn't, but. . . I-it just scared me to think that you could have ended up anywhere alone and there was nothing I could do to help you. You're very capable, but that doesn't mean I can't worry," he confessed. Their joined hands lowered and he squeezed her palm gently.

"You did help me. It was because of your training that I was able to find exactly who I needed."

"Those friends of yours?" he confirmed.

"Yes," she sighed. Her gaze wandered to the moonlit ocean. "It is thanks to them that I was able to return."

"Do you miss them?"

"I do. I am most happy to be home, but it is difficult not knowing if I am ever to see them again," she admitted. Leaning into Robin's shoulder, she allowed her thoughts to wander. Surely those Kraang would endanger their safety and they could not reach her for assistance. Never again would she fight alongside them or have mustard fights in their kitchen or dance to their strange music. The hole in her heart left by her separation from the Titans now remained for the Hamato family.

"It's never easy to leave friends behind. But you know, with the technology that the Kraang have, I'm sure they can figure out a way to jump dimensions. Who knows? You're likely to see them again someday," he reasoned. At this, Starfire's spirit lifted. She rarely had the chance to say goodbye to those who had to leave her life. But when she still cared for them, it never truly felt like a goodbye; only a momentary parting. With the turtles and April, there was much separating her from them, but she knew that they wished to see her as well.

"Someday," she murmured hopefully.

For a few minutes, the only sound was the ocean waves splashing against the rocks below. The moonlight filled the night air, reflecting and rippling on the darkened waters. The stars above flickered brightly for the pair.

"Starfire?"

"Hmm?"

"There was something you wanted to talk about before you left. Do you still need to?"

Starfire thought back to the restless nights. All of the nightmares that chased away her dreams. The morbid subconscious that refused to leave her in peace. If she wanted to recover, then talking to Robin was the first step.

Into the late hours of the night, Starfire told him of what happened to set a fear of experiments within her. Why she fled from the Tower that night. Robin listened intently, asking questions only when necessary.

While she could certainly cope, Robin would help her to truly heal. Just as she had comforted him time and again, it was her turn to trust him with her more vulnerable side.

It was when Robin wrapped his cloak around her that she felt it. She was immune to the cold unless her emotions felt otherwise. But his reassurance gave the warm, comforting feeling that she sought the moment she fell through the portal.

_I am home._


End file.
